Sin
by XenoMark
Summary: It began as a journey of healing, but it soon became something neither sister had ever imagined. WARNING: Story deals with incest and yuri, don't flame about it.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Welcome to my first and probably only Tenjho Tenge fanfic, "Sin." Recently I've become a fan of the Tenjho Tenge series, and I was surprised to find hardly any fan fiction for it (but then again, I didn't look too hard). I've seen the entire anime series fansubbed, including the OVAs, but I haven't read the original manga so this story is based on the anime series (though I've heard that there's little difference between the two) and have just recently seen part of the official U.S. release of the series. This fic takes place shortly after the second OVA episode. Like most of my fan fiction that I've written recently, this story is shoujo-ai, but what sets this fic apart from my other shoujo-ai fics is the fact that this story deals greatly with the topic of incest (in this case, the Natsume sisters, Aya and Maya). So if stuff like that offends you, I strongly recommend you read something else. Also, the lemons and other adult situations for this fic were edited out of this version of the fic. The uncut version of this story can be found in under my alternate pen name, cbman. Well that's about it for now, let's start the story.

* * *

Prologue

She sat there her with her entire body unmoving. Her breath was short, her throat parched, and her heart heavy. Her entire being had been frozen at that moment, not paralyzed by the evening's breeze, but by the words spoken to her by her loved one.

"Aya, do you want to make love to me?" was what her lover said.

Aya did not know how to react after hearing these words, just the thought of having the one she had long adored finally say these words to her always painted her cheeks with a stroke of pink, and now, finally in reality, the one she loved had finally said it. Her body began to tremble now, scared of the uncertainty of what her loved one would feel if she were to fail in carnal embrace. It's true that the one before her had put her down in the past at times, had avoided her on numerous occasions, but it was not because they had thought ill of her, but because of their own insecurity.

"Aya, if you don't want to, I understand," her lover began to speak again. "This is something that can never be undone. After we've made love, nothing will ever be the same again. It's a really big step, one that can forever change how we look at one another. If you're happy with the way things are now between us, then we can just forget about what was brought up this night and..."

"No," Aya interrupted, placing her finger on the lips of her admirer. "I am happy with the way things are right now, but I wish to go further with you. We've been through so much in the time we've known one another, but whenever we were together in the past, you never showed me

your self, your real self. You always try to act so strong in front of everyone, always full of pride, always taking charge, but behind that facade, I always saw a deep sadness that no one else noticed. So please, if only for tonight, show me the real you. I know it's selfish of me to ask such a thing, but please, show me..."

"Aya..."

Her palms began to clasp the face of her lover, the one she had adored for so long, the one who had showed her the path to true strength, and the one she had dedicated her body, mind, soul, and heart to. Her lipsbegan to inch forward, quivering at the touch of her admirer's breath. The gap between their mouths was soon broken with the press of their lips, the skin of their mouths fitting perfectly against one another. A brush of warmth began to fill within her being, her entire body

slowly melting with every passing second. Her body began sinking, her lover's form following her lead to the futon. The moment her back met with the cotton surface, their lips began to part. The chilly air began to separate the two again, but only for a second. Another brush

of their lips soon passed, this kiss deeper than the first. Her entire body began to burn now, the flames of passion swirling inside her.

Their lips parted once more, but this time they did not meet again. Another kiss had followed, this time it was on her neck. It was followed by another, this one an inch below the one before, and then another followed. More and more kisses fell upon her neck, each one adding more tinder to the inferno burning inside her. Her arms began to take hold of her lover's shoulder in an attempt for her to catch her breath. Their eyes met during this brief recess, her reflection shimmering brightly through the irises of the one she so greatly adored. Aya gasped when their lips met with the base of her neck, her skin tenderly being pulled by the mouth of her lover. She loved how they were tending to her; so soft, so gentle, her body was craving more.

"More...," Aya begged in a whisper.

"Are you sure, Aya?" the question was raised once more.

"Yes," she nodded, "please, don't torment me any longer, Oneechan."

"Please, don't call me that," her lover said. "Call me by name. Please, just say my name, Aya."

"Maya, please, continue," she corrected herself.

For the first time she can remember, Natsume Maya's little sister had finally called her by her name. In the past she was always known as "Oneechan," not once did she ever call her "Maya." There were only two who ever called her by her name, the only two men she had ever truly

loved, her brother Shin and her former boyfriend Mitsuomi. Both of them were dead now, and to finally hear someone she deeply cared for call her by her name once more brought a smile to her lips. This smile was not one she had to fake, not a mask to hide her true emotions, but

a real smile she had not given for two years.

Heaven, bliss, ecstacy, these words did not even come close to what Aya had felt that moment. Never in her imagination did she think making love would be so passionate. The taste of her sister's lips, they rivaled the taste of the sweetest honey; the sound of her gasps and moans were as soothing as the winds, and her skin as soft as clouds. Perfect, everything was just perfect in that very moment when the physical expression of their love had finally reached its peak.

"That was beautiful, Aya," Maya said, staring into her sister's cinnamon pupils once more.

"Thank you, Maya," the younger sister returned the smile.

"I love you, Aya."

"And I love you, Maya."

Their lips met once more after, adding another small piece of tinder to the dying flame inside each of them. After parting lips once more, Aya had turned her attention upward, her eyes surveying the ceiling. Maya watched as her lover stared at the surface above them, the smile on

her face slowly melting as she saw the blank look on Aya's face. Concern immediately took over upon seeing this; Maya couldn't help but wonder what was going through Aya's mind at that moment.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked.

"I can't believe I just made love to my own sister," she answered. "Don't misunderstand though, Maya," she assured her, her usual smile stretching across her face, "I have no regrets about what just happened."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Isn't it a sin to engage in actions like this with your own family? Is it not moral to sleep with your own sister even if your love transcends the barriers of flesh and blood?"

"...I suppose it is," Maya answered, "but forbidden fruits are also the sweetest."

"Then...how do you think Souichiro-sama and the others will react when they find out about this? Will they think we're terrible people? Will they look down on us for doing something so immoral?"

"Before you can ask that, you have to ask yourself what is truly moral and immoral. We all have different views on different things; some may think that disciplining students should strictly be a parent's job, others may think that the schools have a right to do so; some may think sex should only be done after marriage while others think otherwise. These are but a few examples, Aya, so which is truly right? None of them are right, do you know why? Because the only one who can decide what is truly right and what is truly wrong is yourself, Aya. I'm not saying that you shouldn't listen to others around you, but I want you to do what you think is truly right regardless of what others' opinions are."

"I understand," Aya nodded. "...Maya, do you remember how all of this started?" Aya asked after, changing the subject.

"What?"

"I asked you if you remember how this all started?"

"...yes I do," she answered after a slight moment of hesitation. "It was two weeks ago, at school, three days after...," she stopped, a lump now in her throat. "Three days after Mitsuomi died..."

* * *

Author's Note: Good so far I hope. I know Mitsuomi didn't die in the anime, but the events that lead up to his death will be briefly explained in the next chapter. As for Aya, I'm sure we all know she's deeply in love with Souichiro in the anime series, so I'm sure many of you are wondering why she's with Maya then. I'll explain that in a later chapter because the following chapters (possibly at least the next four) will take place two weeks before the events of the prologue. Also of note, the rest of the story will be told in First Person POV, told through different characters' POV; not just Aya and Maya, but also through the rest of the Jyuken Club's as they learn about the sisters' new relationship. In later chapters, you can expect to see a few

fights, including a rematch between Maya and Isuzu. I'm aware that in CMX's translation of the manga, Aya does call Maya by her name all the time, but I'm not sure if that's the case in the original manga. But whatever, this is based on the fan-subbed version of the anime (I know Aya calls Maya "Sis" in the English Dub, but for the fic, we'll just go with 'Oneechan' like the fan-subbed version). One final note I should make is that Maya will most likely be out of character in the following chapters due to the fact that Mitsuomi died. Well, hope you

all liked it so far, review if you like, but I hate flames. Hope you continue to read this fic.


	2. Darkness

Author's Note: This chapter takes place about two weeks before the prologue, keep in mind that the next few chapters will take place before the prologue as well. Like I said in the prologue, Maya may appear out of character in these chapters due to her getting depressed over Mitsuomi's death. His death will be briefly explained in this chapter, but the full details will slowly be revealed in later chapters. Also of note, this chapter is slow, don't expect any romance to develop between Maya and Aya yet, that will happen in the next chapter. Well then, let's continue, or rather, start seeing how this takes place before the prologue chronological-wise.

* * *

Chapter 1: Darkness

(Maya's POV)

"Light naturally coexists with darkness. If he is completely surrounded by darkness, then it's because he put himself in it. Right? The world is overflowing with light."

Those were the words I had told Kuzunoha Mana two years ago. She told me that it was my fault for why my brother betrayed his friends, that it was my fault for him being consumed by darkness. I was such a simpleton back then, believing that it was one's own fault for being the way they were because they allowed themselves to feel that way. I feel as though I've learned a lot in these past two years after my brother's death, and I had come to learn that there are just some things you can't control, things that you can't help but feel.

My brother had once said that he could hear the joys of the sakura blossoms falling, the whispers of the winds, and the dances of the grass, but I never believed him. I think now that maybe he really did hear these things, that it was made possible because of his Ryuugan. Even my sister is beginning to hear such things, like when she rode our brother's bike so that she may save the kid and his friend when Ryuzaki attacked them. Sometimes I wish I could hear the same things they could, see what they can, trying to do so whenever I look out the window in my classroom. I am a failure of the Natsume House, being unable to understand such things. Aya and the others in the Jyuken Club may not think so, but I feel as if they don't truly mean it. There was one person, however, who I felt truly meant it when he said I wasn't a failure, that I could be happy for just being who I truly was and not for who I wasn't.

"Mitsuomi..," his name barely escapes my lips.

The man said to be the strongest in Todou Academy, the one whom I had given my heart to two years ago, the one who killed my brother. Takayanagi Mitsuomi, I had not expected one as powerful as you to fall in a way such as this. Your heart, I was never aware of how much you strained it during your battles, but I knew it was more than our fights that caused your death, it was your heart breaking again and again. You asked me to return to your arms many times before, my answer always being no. What you did not know however, was that each time you had asked me, I came closer and closer each time to saying yes.

"Yes, take me back into your arms," the hidden urges of my heart wanted to say. "Let me be yours once again, let me feel your embrace, let me feel your soul, let me be yours and yours alone."

The time for me to say those words will never be, however. You are dead, and I am alone once again. You were the one who took away the first person I truly loved, my brother Shin. How happy we were together, everyday was like a holiday when I was with him. I always thought that our happiness would never end, but slowly the fact hit me the more time I spent with you, the holiday would soon end. Mitsuomi, you took my brother away from me, leaving me to mourn for him for the rest of my existence. I swore that I would defeat you, kill you, out of hatred, but I... I could never bring myself to do it, my heart still yearned for yours. Again my heart ached knowing this fact, it ached for the fact that as I hated you, I still loved you. I never wanted to go through with revenge, but Fate has decided to commit it for me. Your death was so sudden, Mitsuomi, and here, once again, I mourn for another I loved so dearly, stripped from my arms once more, and just like two years ago, I am alone as I cry.

Everyday I look at the photo we took two years ago, it always brought back memories and emotions I haven't felt in the what feels like an eternity. Everything that happened since that day has brought nothing but sadness in my life, there are times I just wish I could forget everything from that point until now. I just... I just want to remember what I felt those days, I want to remember the happiness we all shared, I just want to relive it all once again. I sigh knowing that it will never be, I know that I cannot relive the past, I know that I can't erase it, I can only live in the present, regardless of how cruel it may be.

"Daydreaming again are we, Natsume?" I look up from the picture in my hand to find my instructor standing next to me. "You may be showing up to class more often than your first year, but can you at least look like you're paying attention to my lectures."

"...sorry," I apologize. "If it's all right, may I be excused for a moment."

"Go ahead," he answers with a sigh.

I place the photo back in my pocket and begin to exit the classroom now. I don't care where it is where I walk, I just find myself blindly following the tiles of the floor. Though my eyes are turned to the ground, my thoughts are focused elsewhere. Mitsuomi, I've never thought about him this much until now. His spiked, bleached hair, his cinnamon brown eyes, and his bright smile, what I'd do just to see them again in the present.

"Oneechan, is that you?" a familiar voice breaks my thoughts once again.

I take a moment to look at her; normally I would ask her something like "why aren't you in class right now?" or "just got back from feeling the effects of the kid's baby, huh?", but something is holding me back from saying any of these things. Instead I just stare at her, my lips unmoving and my eyes barely focused on hers.

"Is something wrong?" she asks. "Please, talk to..."

I sigh and begin to follow the tiles once more. I see a concerned look on my sister's face as I pass her, but I do nothing to return the stare. Aya, she's so naive and innocent, I just wish she can stay that way. Was this how my brother felt about me two years ago? To shield his younger sister from his own sins, to hide her from the terrible hand Fate has dealt us? Or was it a more selfish reason, to take away all my happiness so that he may be happy? When I think about what happened two days ago, I can't help but think this way.  
I feel the wind beginning to brush past my face and the heat of the sun beating down on my skin; I must have wandered to the school rooftop without even knowing it. I make my way over to the railing on the edge of the roof, my arms folding on top of the bar and the rest of my body leaning on it. A sigh escapes my lips the moment I find comfort, my concentration returning to that day two days ago when we first learned the news.

It seemed like another day in the Jyuken Club; Takayanagi and the foreigner were sparring with one another and my sister was trying to feed the kid her homemade obento. As usual I was just watching my sister's futile attempts to feed her self-proclaimed husband, my shinai constantly tapping against my shoulder and my face frowning at the fact that my little sister is so dense. I knew the day would become something more when she walked through our room's doors. Pink hair in curls, azure eyes, and a slim figure, it was none other than the Vice-President of the Enforcers, Isuzu Emi. All of us stopped our current activities the moment we saw her, my shinai no longer tapping against my shoulder but now held in front of me. I was positive that she wanted to finish that haircut she gave me a while back, but this time I wouldn't hold back after seeing her true form and feeling the effects of her hidden annki but I realized a second later that she had come for a different reason. Her head hung low and the rest of her body sulking, something was definitely bothering her.

"Isuzu-san, why are you here?" Takayanagi was the one to break the silence amongst all of us.

"Takayanagi Masataka-kun, Bob Makihara-kun, Nagi Souichiro-kun, Natsume Aya-chan, and Natsume Maya-san," the pink-haired girl addressed each of us, her voice low as she did so, "it is my sad duty to inform all of you that..."

Silence filled the room once more before she could finish. The expression on her face, it made me feel so unsettled; for some reason my knees began to lock and my breath grew short. It was strange how I was feeling so uncomfortable around her and how I was suddenly paralyzed for no apparent reason. My intuition was telling me that something was wrong, it wasn't like the bread-haired girl to just come in like this and be silent all of a sudden; it wasn't even like her at all to drop by our club room in the first place.

"Well, come on already," the blond street fighter began to yell at her, "what're you here to inform us about? Your boss want a rematch or something? Shit, I wouldn't be surprised, he's always wanted a piece of me. Why wait for the preliminaries, I'd be glad to give him a rematch now, I'll be sure to beat the living crap outta him! I'll give him another taste of..."

"Takayanagi Mitsuomi-san is dead!" Isuzu yelled using all of her breath.

The sound of her voice had caused the entire room to grow quiet once more, expressions of shock falling upon everyone's faces, but to me, those very words did more. I found my knees suddenly falling to the floor, my heart suddenly racing, my throat parched, and my eyes practically melting. My entire had been trembling at this point, the news she had just spoken repeating themselves over and over again in my ears like a broken record.

"Takayanagi Mitsuomi-san is dead! Takayanagi Mitsuomi-san is dead!" the words echoed again and again.

'No!' I thought to myself. 'It can't be, Mitsuomi can't be dead! He was the strongest man in all of Todou Academy, he can't die that easily. This is absurd, it's absolute ludicrous!'

"What, what happened? My brother could never be killed so easily!" Takayanagi exclaimed.

"It was his heart," Isuzu explained, her voice barely audible. "It finally... gave out on him last night"

I can't begin to describe what I was feeling after I heard those words. Mitsuomi's heart failing him, that didn't sound right. I knew he couldn't have a heart attack, he was always careful with what he ate and he was constantly exercising according to my knowledge. There was no way he had heart disease either for that matter, I've never seen him take any medication for it. The reason for his death, I just kept trying to tell myself that it was a lie, but the more I tried to tell myself that, I would find myself growing more and more angry. It didn't take long for what I assumed were lies to reach the peak of my anger because the next thing I knew, my fingers wrapped around Isuzu's neck and my arm slammed her into the nearest wall.

"What are you talking about!" I cried after my anger reached its pinnacle. "You expect me to believe that he'd die so easily? Mitsuomi was always healthy, he was never sick! He was the fittest person I knew, you can't expect me to believe that his heart suddenly failed him! We've all seen his strength and the fruits of his training, we all know that it's impossible for his heart to suddenly stop! One who was constantly by his side should know that! There's no way Takayanagi Mitsuomi would fall so easily, especially by a disease that's impossible for him to...!"

"Oneechan, please stop it!" my sister suddenly screamed. "Isuzu-san just came here to give us the news, she's not the one at fault, so don't take your anger out on her."

I turned my attention to my sister after and took a moment to reflect on what she just said. After a moment of thinking, I realized that what Aya said was true. To let my emotions take over me so easily wasn't like me at all. I took a deep breath in after in an attempt to cool myself down, but it did very little. Still, it was enough to stop my violent tendencies upon hearing the news.

"...all right, tell me what happened," I ordered, releasing her from my grasp.

"Straight to the point as always, Natsume-san," the pink-haired woman said as she dusted herself off. "Very well. I'm sure you remember two years ago when your brother saved you after Fu Chien and his thugs attacked you?"

"How could I ever forget something like that?" I seethed, her words reopening an old wound.

"When Mitsuomi-san appeared and tried to save you but was struck by your brother's attack instead, the energy from that attack was absorbed into his heart," Isuzu explained.

"That's impossible," Takayanagi butted in at that moment, "the doctors said that there was no damage done to any of his muscles or bones after he was hit by that attack."

"That's what they thought at first," Isuzu continued, "but the truth of the matter was that the effects of the damage didn't show up until later that evening. From that point on, Mitsuomi-san's heart was beating at an average of two-hundred beats per second. His heart had apparently absorbed the energy used by the Ryuugan, using that energy to pump at an extraordinarily high speed. The result was as you've seen in all of his battles; superhuman strength, godlike speed, and an immeasurably high metabolism, he had become a god among men, but at the cost of drastically shortening his life span."

"So my brother was...?" I felt the weight of his death beginning to fall upon my shoulders.

"It happened when he was returning home from the school last night," the Vice President's following words immediately caught my attention, "his body suddenly became paralyzed as he reached for the door. I helped him inside after I heard him collapse outside and asked him if he needed to go to the hospital, but he told me it was just another usual occurrence of his condition. I didn't believe him, but I also didn't want to disobey his order to leave him be. I shouldn't have.If only I hadn't listened, if only I persisted in telling him to go to the hospital, Mitsuomi-san would still be alive!" she screamed, her last sentence echoing throughout the entire room.

"It's not fair...," the words barely escaped my lips.

"Oneechan?"

"It's not fair...," I repeated, slightly raising the volume of my voice. "Mitsuomi... Mitsuomi was only trying to protect me back then,  
and my brother..."

"If you run away, I'll kill," my brother's words began to echo through my head once more. "Of course, it won't be you. I'll kill the person you ran away to or who you resorted to. I'll kill every single person who you have been involved with."

'It's just as my brother promised that day,' I thought to myself, 'even in death, he has kept his promise. Brother, why, this isn't fair. After two years, do you still wish for me to pay attention to you and only you? I was supposed to love him again, I was supposed to return to his arms. Why? Why did you have to take him now?'

The tears begin flowing down my face once again, my voice breaking, and my nose sniffling. I find myself overcome by my emotions once again, the weight of my feelings sending me to the floor. The tears won't stop falling, the image of his face remains stuck in my eyes, I can't stop... I can't stop remembering, I can't stop crying.

"Mitsuomi..."

Images of our past together begin to flash through my mind now. I remember riding to school with him on his motorcycle, how I would always wrap my arms around his waist and nestled my cheek against his. I remember the feeling the beat of his heart from his back as I pushed my body behind his, how his soft green hair tickled my skin as it was caught in the wind, and how his voice would always make my heart race.

"Maya...," I remember how soft and soothing his voice was whenever he called my name.

The tree on the hill, there were so many memories we had together there. I remember how I would usually be taking a nap there, only to be awakened by a warm brush against my lips. Every time I felt that brush, I remember opening my eyes to be greeted by a pair of cinnamon pupils. My own lips would always widen when I saw my reflection from them, how I would lose that image by trying to see into them further. I remember each time how my arms would reach upward, wrapping around the shoulders of the owner of those beautiful eyes, pulling him closer so that our mouths could meet once again.

The walks we had in the forest near my house, there was not a moment I can forget no matter how many times we walked through it. It always started with us walking together hand-in-hand, Mitsuomi looking forward with a smile on his face, but my eyes were always on his. Every time I wanted him to look at me, I would simply brush my hand up his arm, wrapping both of mine around his and leaning my weight onto him. Each time I did this, his gaze would always turn toward me, his own face lighting up when he saw mine. He would then take his hand and place it on my forehead, brushing away a single strand of hair each time.

Then there was the first and only time we made love. It was in my room two years ago. It was one of those rare times when my brother was at Mana's and Aya was at a friend's house for the night. It was just Mitsuomi and I that evening, the two of us watching the stars together right outside my room. There was just something about the night sky that made it feel like a special night, I just knew looking into the shimmering atmosphere and the sparkle they created in his eyes that that night was the night we would become one. I remember luring him into my room, asking him to make love to me.

"Mitsuomi," I called him in a barely audible tone, "please, do whatever you want with me. Love me, ravish me, do whatever you want, just let me become one with you."

"Maya, are you sure?" he asked me. "This is a big step. Whatever is done tonight can never be undone. If there is any part of you that doesn't want to do this, don't push yourself. Your happiness is my happiness, Maya, and so, if you're only doing this to make me happy, then..."

"Mitsuomi, your happiness is my happiness as well," I told him. "Every fiber of my being has wanted this for a very long time, so please, make this an experience I can always look back on and smile. I love you, Takayanagi Mitsuomi, and I want to love every part. Body, heart, mind, and soul, everything, I want to love every part of you."

"As do I," he said as he wrapped his fingers around my chin. "I love you, Natsume Maya, and I want to love every part of you as well."

I still feel every inch of his touch to this very day. His hands were so warm, his body was built like stone but as soft as silk, and his touch was oh so delicate. Everything he did was slow yet gentle, I remember the fires of passion that continued to burn brighter and brighter with every action he did to my body. Time felt like it had stopped as we made love, it felt like eternity when we were one. No words could come close to what I had felt that evening, neither could any emotions or thoughts could express what I was feeling.  
I had felt so much happiness back then, so much bliss, and I had still felt such things whenever I looked back at those times, but now I feel nothing but emptiness and sadness when I remember. I no longer see that young and energetic face, now I see a cold and frozen visage. It does nothing when I see it, it simply stares at me, eyes never blinking, lips never flinching, nothing but absolute stillness. I feel as if the world that was once overflowing with light has suddenly disappeared, overcome by the shadows of darkness. If I had known what would've happened later that evening when he died, I wouldn't have.

Mitsuomi's death was my fault, my brother's death was my fault, my parents' deaths were... Everyone I've grown close to and loved have died because of me. If that's the case, then...

The tears that fall down my eyes begin to stop falling and my voice begins to calm down. My arms begin to pull against the bars now, pulling so that I bring myself back to my feet. I find my right leg beginning to step over the rail that holds the bars, easily slipping past the rusted metal. My other leg follows shortly after, both of my feet now on the tiny space between the rooftop and the sky. A slight breeze begins to blow shortly after, the air nearly stinging my eyes as it catches some of my hair. I look to the area below my feet to find a rare site: an empty campus with no students walking to class or talking with their friends. No bicycles, no broken branches, nothing.  
The feel of the rusty railing begins to slip from my fingers, my body beginning to succumb to the dangling of my feet from the roof's edge. The winds begin to beat against my face once again, at first a whistle, and then a gust. The image of the campus below begins to grow within my vision, my eyes shutting so that I may get used to the sight of darkness. My body begins to sink now, the feel of the floor disappearing from my feet. This is how it should be; the guilt of the ones I love will no longer be cast on my shoulders and in turn, no one will be close to enough to me any more that it will cost them their life. Yes, this is how it should end, this should be my destiny.

"Oneechan!"

A jolt suddenly surges through my entire body now, my being no longer sinking to the surface below. Something is stopping me, the wind is no longer slicing against my body, but now blowing parallel to it. I begin to peel away the darkness away from my eyes, the surface below no longer growing but slowly dangling from side-to-side. I feel something holding my wrist, as if it were trapped in a vice. The hold is strong, but I feel my body still sinking, but barely. My vision begins to turn toward the direction of the grip now, catching the sight of one's fingers tightly wrapped around the base of my hand. I look further to find the familiar face of its owner; chocolate brown eyes with a slight cherry hue, long cinnamon brown hair, and fairly light skin, it's...

"Stop it, Aya, let go of me," I order.

"I can't," she tells me, her voice filled with absolute resolute, "I won't! Why are you doing this, Oneechan, this isn't like you at all. The Oneechan I know wouldn't give up so easily, she wouldn't stay down after being knocked down, she would always get back up."

"Let go of me!" I repeat.

"No! I'm not letting you go, Oneechan! I know you're upset over Mitsuomi-san's death, but doing this isn't going to do anything to make you feel better."

"You think I don't know that!" I spit. "Tell me, Aya, how would you feel? How would you feel if the two men you loved with all your heart died? How would you feel if their deaths were your fault? What if the kid died and it was your fault, how would you feel? Tell me!"

"I'd be just as upset as you are now, Oneechan," she answers. "Of course I'd be sad, of course I'd be angry, but I wouldn't do what you're doing now. I loved our brother just as much as you did, I mourned just like you when he died. I know I didn't know Mitsuomi-san as much as you and Oniichan did, but still, I grieved for him. Even if Souichiro-sama were to die and his death was my own fault, I would blame myself for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean I would end it. Do you know why, Oneechan? Because there are still other people in this world that care about me and my death would only make them grieve."

"And about me, Aya? Who would grieve for me? After all the things I've done; I destroyed our brother's gang, I was the one responsible for the deaths our brother committed, I was the reason why the Enforcers continued to go after the punks, and I... I've burdened so many and I'm sure others hate me for it. Who would grieve for me, Aya?Who would grieve for a someone as burdensome as me?"

"I would!" she screamed, her voice echoing at the top her lungs. "I would cry for you, Oneechan," she continued, streams of tears beginning to roll down her face. "You...you're the only one I have left. Mother and Father died when I was only six, and Oniichan seven years later. You're all I have left, Oneechan!" she yelled once again. "Please... don't leave me alone, I can't bear to lose anyone else so dear to me, please... Don't give up on me. I need you, Oneechan!"

"Aya...," my own eyes begin to water now. "Wait," I order her. "Natsume Ryu Kouki Renpou Nijusan," I chant the name of my most used technique.

I feel my entire body growing lighter now and the grip around my wrist tightening. In a quick tug, my entire body is lifted back onto the rooftop. I find my sister falling onto the ground after she pulls me back up, my body falling directly on top of hers after she loses her balance.

'Why?' I think to myself now. 'Why did I just do that? I had every intention of simply letting myself fall off this rooftop, and yet I allowed her to pull me back up, making it easier for her as well by turning into my child form. Why?'

"Oneechan, you idiot!" my sister's arms quickly wrap around my form. "How could you? How could you do something so selfish and stupid!"

"I... I'm sorry, Aya," I find myself returning the embrace.

"Captain, Aya-chan!" I look behind my sister to find Takayanagi and the punks running toward us. "Is everything okay, we heard you screaming and..."

"Everything's fine now, Takayanagi-senpai," Aya answered.

"Guess it was just a false alarm then," the blond punk says as he begins to scratch the back of his head.

"Were you worried about me, Souichiro-sama?" my sister quickly turns her attention to her self-proclaimed husband.

"What?" he quickly jumps.

"I'm so happy you were so concerned, Souichiro-sama!" she quickly wraps her arms around him.

"Wait, what are you doing, you idiot!" the kid yells, trying his best to push Aya off of him. "Bob, help me out here!"

"She's your 'wife', a healthy couple should be able to handle disputes like this amongst themselves," the ebony-skinned young man shrugs.

"What the hell are you saying?"

"I'll make you a special lunch for tomorrow for worrying so much," my sister continues, her hold on him as tight as ever. "White rice, takoyaki, teriyaki chicken, shredded pork, oh I know you're just going to love it, Souichiro-sama!"

The voices of my comrades begins to grow deaf in my ears as I turn back to where I was about to fall. The thought of why I let Aya pull me up begins to cross my mind, and again, I can find no answer as to why I let her save me. Could it be because she said that she needed me? Perhaps, but the way she's acting right now, it's as if what just occurred never happened. Maybe I shouldn't have listened to her.

"Captain, are you all right?" Takayanagi asks, breaking my thoughts.

"...I don't feel well today," I answer. "I think I'll go home early."

I begin to brush past everyone now and begin to make my way back down the stairs, my eyes once again glued to the floor. Again I've been a burden, the others rushing to mine and Aya's aid when she helped me. If I'm going to die, I shouldn't let the others be involved, I mustn't allow them to try and prevent me from doing so. Even if I am a burden, I still.

"Oneechan, wait!" I turn around to find my sister following me.

"Yes?" I stop.

"Your clothes...," she says, a slight brush of red painted on her face, "they're slipping off."

I look down to find my clothes are too big for my current form, that I did in fact forget to revert back to my normal self. Sighing, I use the technique once more to allow my clothes to fit again and I continue on my way once more.

'I failed in killing myself earlier,' I think, "maybe I can try again later..."

* * *

(Aya's POV)

Oneechan hasn't said a word since we got back from school; as soon as we came home, she locked herself up in her room. She always worries me whenever she's like this, how she always grows silent and doesn't tell me what she's thinking.

"How's the captain?" Takayanagi-senpai asks me as I renter the living room.

"She still won't come out of her room," I answer as I take a seat, "she won't even talk to me when I call her from the other side of her door."

"Poor kid," Souichiro-sama says, "that little girl has gone through a lot in her life. Tell me, Aya, how long did it take for her to recover after your brother died."

"About three months I guess," I answer.

'That's not true,' I think to myself, 'Oneechan never recovered after Oniichan died.'

Ever since our brother died, she's usually been like this. She was never the one to start up conversations during our meals, she would always stare blankly into the ceiling whenever she thought she was by herself, and every time I looked into her eyes, I could see them beginning to water. Even when she would crack jokes, it would be the same; she would tell the joke, laugh about it for a little bit, and then that sadness would return. I miss the days when she wasn't like this, I miss the days when she smiled and spoke to me, I miss the days when she was herself.

"Damn, that's quite a while," Souichiro-sama continues, "and the fact that she's going to be expelled once the month is over isn't going to help at all."

"It's getting late," Makihara-san says as he begins to make his way to the door. "Chiaki will be mad at me again if I miss another one of her home-cooked meals."

"Do you think the captain will be going to school tomorrow?" Takayanagi-senpai asks as he follows Makihara-san.

"I don't know," I answer. "If she isn't, I'll be sure to stay with her after what happened earlier today."

"That's good to know. Listen, Aya-chan, the captain is your only family left, so take good care of her," he continues.

"I know."

"I'm sure this is a really hard time for her. Maybe you should spend some time with her, cheer her up if you can. It hasn't been easy for me or my father after learning about my brother's death just a few days ago, even though he kicked us out two years ago. Still, that didn't change the fact that he was my brother and he was my father's son. I wish that my brother and I could have made peace when he was still alive, but now... Aya-chan, please take good care of the captain, I don't your relationship to grow sour like how mine did with my brother."

"All right, I'll be sure to do that," I assure him as he exits.

"Guess I'll get going too then," Souichiro-sama yawns as he begins to make his way out the door with the others.

"Souichiro-sama, you don't have to go," I stop him, wrapping my arm around his own. "I can give you that meal I owe you for being concerned about me right now if you want."

"I think I'll pass...," Souichiro-sama says with a disgusted look on his face.

"Well then, I'll give it to you tomorrow then," I tell him as he makes his way out the door.

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," he waves with his back turned toward me. "See ya!"

The house is empty once again with everyone gone. I still haven't gotten used to this silence, even after Oniichan died. Actually, it's worse now that I can't even get a word from Oneechan. I turn on the TV to try and get rid of some of the silence, but it doesn't give the same effect of when my sister and I talk.

"Listen, Aya-chan, the captain is your only family left, so take good care of her," Takayanagi-senpai's words begin to echo in my head. "Maybe you should spend some time with her, cheer her up if you can."

Taking those words into account, I turn off the TV now and make my way out of the living room. I begin to make my way toward Oneechan's room now, Takayanagi-senpai's words still ringing in my ears. He told me to cheer her up, but I don't really have any idea how to do so. Our tastes in humor are often times different, we don't have much of the same interests, and as far as I remember, we're complete opposites in just about everything. Still, that doesn't mean I'll give up, she's the only family I have left, and I won't give up on her that easily.

"Oneechan, it's me," I knock on her door now. "Can I come in?"

She doesn't say anything after I ask her. I wait several moments before knocking again but I get the same result. I wait even more, but I still get nothing, even with a third knock. She worries me even more now, so I decide to make my way in.

"Oneechan, I'm coming i...!"

I open the door to find my sister sitting in the middle of the room, her knees sitting on the ground and her arms stretched forward with a wakizashi in her hand, its blade pointed at her chest. Her arms begin to move inward now, the blade pulling in with the folding of her arms. My legs quickly push me forward at this moment, my hand quickly reaching for hers. I do not grab her hand, instead, I find a geyser of crimson erupting from the steel slab in her hands.

"Oneechan..."

"Aya?" she looks at me with a blank look at her face.

The pain from grabbing the short sword begins to erupt through my body now, but it isn't what causes me to wince. I find my eyes beginning to water now and my mouth quivering. My remaining hand begins to come forward now, my palm stinging against the air before it meets with the face of my sister. The blank look in her face remains, but her fingers release their grip from the weapon, allowing it to fall to the floor. I take the wakizashi into my own hand now, making sure that my sister won't be able to grab a hold of it again so easily.

"What are you doing, Oneechan!" I yell at her. "Didn't I tell you not to do this? Do you really intend to make me cry that badly? Are you happy now, Oneechan? I'm crying!" I exclaim, my voice nearly choking."I'm crying, Oneechan, I'm already mourning for you. What happened to you? After Mitsuomi-san died, no, when Oniichan died, you've always been...! Why Oneechan, why are you blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault?"

"...because they are my fault," she speaks, her eyes blindly gazing into the ceiling. "Everything is my fault. Our parents' deaths, Shin's death, and Mitsuomi's death, all mine. I opened Pandora's Box when I was eight, when I let our brother touch the Choktou Reiki, even when our parents told me not to let anyone touch it. It drove him insane, Aya!" her voice begins to grow louder. "He killed Mother and Father! And then our brother died after realizing what the Ryuugan did to him. And a few days ago, Mitsuomi died because I..."

I interrupt her before she could say anything else. My arms wrapped around her in an instant, pulling her body close to mine. Whimpers take place of words after that, the cries muffled by the fabric on my shoulders. Her fists begin to strike at my sides now, but none of them are strong enough to make me release her. The strikes start to slow down, but her cries are as loud as ever. My hold on her tightens, my cheek becoming wetter as her tears mingle with mine. Her arms stop flailing at me, her fingers now putting a tight grip on the fabric of the back of my shirt. She continues to cry in my arms as I hold her, slowly but surely, I notice her beginning to calm down.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for things that you couldn't control, Oneechan," I tell her. "You can't expect to bear all the weight you put on your shoulders."

"But Aya..."

"Sh, don't speak," I assure her. "Just let it all out, Oneechan. Let it all out."

I don't know how long I hold her, all I know is that every time I look at the moon, the light grows brighter. My sister's sobs are more silent now, each one becoming less and less audible. Her hold around me is tight, but I feel it slowly loosening. When she stops crying, I finally let go of her, but her nose continues to sniffle and her eyes still gazing at the floor.

"Are you feeling any better?" I ask her.

"...a little," she answers.

Just those two little words bring relief to my heart, but I'm still worried that she might try to hurt herself again. I have to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't. If we were to go to school tomorrow, I'm sure she would still be like this, and I can't keep watching her the entire time. Not only that, it might be hard for her as well, I'm sure some things on the campus would stir up some old memories of her and Mitsuomi-san.

"Oneechan, let's not go to school tomorrow," I tell her. "Let's go somewhere else for the day. I think you need a little break from studying."

"Then where will we go?" she asks.

"Somewhere fun," I answer, "a place where you can relax. I know, we haven't been to the water park in years. Summer's almost here, how about we go there."

"...sure," she says after a moment of hesitation.

"All right, it's settled then, Oneechan," I tell her, "tomorrow will be you're the first day in your journey of healing! It will be so much fun, I'm sure you'll be back to your normal self in no time."

"You're so optimistic," she says in an almost monotone voice, "and I envy you for that."

"Oneechan..."

I don't know what to say after that. My own sister, jealous of me? I've never heard her say that before. If anything, I've always been jealous of her. I've always been jealous of how strong she was compared to me, how confident she always is, and most of all, how she much prettier she is than me. To hear that she's jealous of my optimism, I never thought I would hear such a thing.

"...I think I'll go to bed now," my sister tells me as she takes her futon out of her closet.

"Then I'll stay here too," I impose.

"I won't try any...," I leave before she can finish.

I come back a moment later with my own futon only to find my sister already asleep. It amazes that she's fallen asleep already, her face looking so peaceful despite what she was going through today. I can't help but smile as I see her resting. I lay my futon directly next to hers so that I may greet her when I wake up. She breathes in slowly, her breath tickling my nose every time she exhales.

Tomorrow, tomorrow will be the first day in her journey of healing. No, it won't be just her journey, it will be our journey. In this journey, I will find the sister I lost two years ago, I will heal the wounds not only Mitsuomi-san left her, but the ones Oniichan left in our hearts as well. Yes, this will be our journey, our journey to reclaim what was a lost, our journey to mend our broken hearts...

* * *

Author's Note: Well how was it? Sorry about the lack of any real romance in this chapter, but this is basically just to get things started. You can't expect their relationship to evolve just like that, it takes some time to develop, so wait around for three more chapters to get to the point in their relationship that was shown in the prologue. But yeah, the early stages of their relationship will begin in the next chapter though, so you can expect to make have their relationship to make some progress, slowly but surely. In the anime I don't recall seeing any clear evidence that shows whether or not Maya knows about Mitsuomi's heart condition, so I just went with the assumption that she didn't. In any case, see ya in the next chapter. 


	3. Healing

Author's Note: Sorry for the last chapter being slow and all, but I basically wanted to show you Maya's current state of mind, especially since the events behind Mitsuomi's death will play a key part in the plot later on. Well in any case, if you're waiting for the fluff in Maya and Aya's relationship, I'll have a little bit in this chapter, though not to much, it's a bit too early for it now. With that said, let's continue where we left off in the last chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Healing

(Aya's POV)

Today is going to be Oneechan's first day of healing, I've carefully planned out all of today's events. We'll go to the water park around noon today to beat the rush of people, then around 3:00, I'll take her to the Game Gio Arcade and Karaoke Box, and then around 6:30, I'll take her to Riky's for dinner. When all of that's done, we can head home at around 8:00 and rest for the remainder of the day. This day is going to be perfect!

"Oneechan, are you ready to go yet?" I knock on her door.

The door opens and I can't help but look surprised at how my sister looks. Instead of planning to go out as her usual self, I find her in her child form, dressed in a children's swimsuit. I did tell her to get dressed for the water park, but I didn't want her to be in that form. I just find it odd that she wants to go out like this, especially since she's always in her normal form whenever we go out anywhere.

"Oneechan, why are you in your child form?" I ask her.

"Is something wrong with it?" she asks back.

"No, it's just that you're never in this form whenever we go out anywhere except for school," I tell her. "It's just...weird that you want to go to the water park like this."

"Are you really that uncomfortable with it?"

"To be honest... yes."

"All right, I'll change," she sighs, "give me a bit."

I head to the garage of our house now so that I may get Oniichan's old bike started. I pull the motorcycle out to the curb and begin to start it up. The bike sputters a little after I turn the key into the ignition, but after several tries, the sputtering stops at the engine begins to run smoothly. I decide to head back inside now to wait for my sister, but before I could, I am stopped by the one I was waiting for.

"Is this better?" she asks.

Sometimes it shocks me how my sister dresses, and this uniform is no different. The black bra that was meant to be part of her bathing suit is being worn on the outside, but the leather jacket that she's wearing with it is open, totally unzipped. She's also wearing leather pants to

go with her attire, the pants sagging at her hips enough that I can see the rim of her bikini bottom. The high-heeled boots and open-fingered gloves also don't help. Just seeing her dressed like this makes my throat itch and my face burn, I can't help but feel more and more uneasy with every second I stare at her.

"Oneechan, are you sure you want to wear that outfit?" I ask her.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Never mind," I tell her, not wanting to get into the details, "let's go. I'll drive."

I make sure to keep my eyes on the odometer of the bike to keep my gaze away from my sister's outfit. Though I manage to keep my vision away from her, my face can't help but burn more as my sister wraps her arms around my waist and her body pressing against my back. I find myself beginning to sweat profusely now and my heart nearly jumping out of my chest, the feeling only worsening as she presses closer.

"What's the matter?" Oneechan asks.

"No, nothing!" I quickly respond. "Let's get going!"

I rev the bike up once more, the motorcycle quickly bouncing off the curb and onto the road after the initial run. Though the wind is swirling before my face and my body, it does nothing to cool the sweat that still runs down my brow. Oneechan just doesn't have any shame when it comes to things like this. Maybe I'm just being too self conscious and... No, I can't think about it now, I have to concentrate on the road. Wait, is she... She's pulling me in closer! Just don't think about it, Aya, just don't think about it... Think about Souichiro-sama... It's just Oneechan that's holding you, she can't mean anything by this... She can't mean...

"Aya, you're driving awfully fast," Oneechan informs me.

"I...I'm sorry, it's just..."

"We're going 125 mph," she leans in closer so that she can point to the odometer, "you should slow down before the police catch us."

"Yeah, I should..."

'Please let this ride be over soon...'

* * *

(Maya's POV)

Aya can be such a child sometimes... This idea of going to the water park, her enthusiasm in trying to help me, and her getting embarrassed because of my outfit and how I clung onto her as she drove us here, it's all very childish. I have to admit though, it's better than her turning out like me, that's the last thing I want.

We've been here in the park for about an hour now, I haven't found any of this entertaining. Watching children and their parents running around or swimming in the pools does bring a smile to my face, but it's not enough to entirely change my mood. It's just like yesterday and  
the two days before; I can't stop thinking about Mitsuomi. Even when I fell asleep last night, I couldn't stop thinking about him. My last words to him, I still remember them as if I had just spoken them...

"Let go of me!" I ordered him. "I said let me go! You disgust me, you know that! I gave you everything two years ago; my heart, my soul, my virginity... Everything! But that wasn't enough, was it? I trusted you, I can't believe...!"

"Maya...I..."

"Don't touch me! I said don't touch me! I never want to see you again! You are nothing to me, Takayanagi Mitsuomi, so you can die for all I care!"

If only I had known what happened later that evening, no, if only I had known about his condition, I would never have said those things. I never meant any of them, it wasn't fair of me to explode on him like that after... Brother, is this how you were planning to get your revenge on him? Were you planning to use his feelings toward me as a tool for his own demise?

"Oneechan, are you okay?"

I look toward the ground to find my sister in front of me. She holds onto the edge of the pool which is only a few inches away from my feet, her eyes once again showing me her naivety. I try to avert my gaze away from her, those eyes only making me feel even more guilty. I turn my attention to the glass of lemonade I had ordered and take a sip, trying my best to act as if I haven't been thinking of Mitsuomi again. By the time I turn back to Aya, I find her still staring at me with a worried expression on her face.

"You've been thinking about Mitsuomi-san again, haven't you?" my sister finally asks.

"...yes," I admit.

"Oneechan, I brought you here today so that you wouldn't have to think about Mitsuomi-san, at least for a few hours," she tells me. "Come on, at least join me for a swim."

"I'm not really in the mood for swimming," I tell her, taking another sip of my drink. "I just... want to be alone right now."

"Oneechan..., you've been doing nothing but moping these last three days," she tells me as she gets out of the pool. "Can you try to be your usual self again, at least for today?"

"Leave me alone..."

I take another sip of my drink, the rest of the liquid running down my throat in seconds. The itchiness in my throat is still there, despite the refreshment I just finished, but it wasn't like I was thirsty in the first place. I feel even worse now seeing how the only reason we came here today was so that Aya could try and cheer me up. I really do envy her cheerfulness and her naivety, why can't I...

Before I know it, I find a force exerted on my back and I find myself stumbling forward. After only two steps, I find the ground disappearing underneath and my entire body engulfed in water. I swim up to the surface in seconds and look back to where I once sat, finding my sister behind my chair laughing at me. My eyes begin to narrow as she continues to mock me, my teeth biting down on one another as she begins to approach me.

"You really need to cool down, Oneechan," she smiles as she stands above me.

"And you look like you could use a drink."

I grab her ankle now and raise my arm upward, pulling her with it. I rotate my arm behind me and a large splash follows after submerging it into the pool again. I turn to where I threw my sister to find her gasping for air the moment she emerges. The sight of her getting flustered and choking on pool water makes my lips curl and my sides ache. I can't help but laugh as she grows cross with me, just looking at her get even more angry makes me laugh even harder.

"Oneechan!" Aya screams at me.

I find my mouth suddenly filling with water as the same liquid travels down the rest of my face. I take a second to spit the liquid out before returning the favor, splashing even more water at her with the wave of my arm. The splash runs down her entire face, a majority of it causing the bangs of her hair to sag to her eyes. My sister tries to do mimics her first action, this time using both of her hands to cup water to fling toward me. Even after the contact of both splashes, her hands continue to throw water at me in an attempt to prevent me from returning the favor. Despite her attempts, I copy her actions, both my hands cupping water and flinging it at her. Underneath the sound of all the splashes, I can hear my sister giggling with my own laughter. Our cries grow louder with every splash as our arms grow tired from the constant throwing. Eventually the splashing stops, the sound of both of our laughter echoing throughout the whole pool.

"Do you feel better now, Oneechan?" she asks as she tries to calm down.

"Yes, I do," I answer.

"Come on, let's go down the water slide!" Aya quickly takes my hand and tries to pull me out of the pool.

"All right," I allow her to pull me along.

There are no lines for the slide allowing Aya and I to head to the biggest one without delay. From the top of the slide, I can see the whole water park, not that it's big to begin with. The wind is a bit strong as we stand up here, and looking down to the pools below almost makes me dizzy. Just standing here reminds me of the last time I was here. I was twelve years old, Aya ten, and our brother fourteen. The three of us came here once during a weekend, we all thought it would just be nice to go. I remember how the three of us came to this very spot, how excited we were to go down it. Well, everyone except Aya.

"Are you scared?" our brother asked her.

"...yes," Aya answered almost in tears.

"Then how about the three of us go down together?" he proposed. "That way Maya and I can protect you as we go down. Isn't that right, Maya?"

"Yes, that's right," I answered.

"...okay."

And that's just what happened, the three of us went down the slide together. Our brother was the one in the front, while I clung onto his back and Aya clung onto mine. Before we knew it, we were traveling down the slide, our cries echoing above the crashing waves we rode down and the whistles of the air. I remember how Aya clung tightly on to my back as we slid down, how her fear turned into laughter as we all traveled down together. Before we knew it, the ride was over and all three of us were once again wading in the pool. All three of us were still laughing afterwards, in fact, Aya was no longer scared and she wanted to go again.

I look to my sister in the present to find her wearing the same expression she wore four years ago when we were at this very spot. Her hands constantly run down her arms as her knees shake, her entire body trembling as she looks to the ground below us.

"Aya, are you scared?" I ask her.

"...yes," she answers just like how she did back then.

"Do you want to go down together then?" I ask.

"...okay," she answers with the same insecurity.

I sit myself down on the slide down, my sister's arms soon wrapping around my shoulders. She clings on tightly, her breath practically tickling my neck. Wasting little time, I push ourselves down the slide. Her hold on me tightens as we travel down the crashing waves and plastic surface, her insecurity replaced by laughter. The wind pushes against us very swiftly, the wrapping of her arms tightening and the cries of our laughter growing louder as it grows more fierce. Suddenly the feel of the slide disappears and we find ourselves submerged in the pool once again, our faces still burning from our cries as we went down the slide.

"How was that?" I ask my little sister.

"That was fun," she answers. "I was only pretending to be scared when we were up there."

"Then why did you pretend?"

"I just wanted to go with you."

The smile on my face disappears after her words, but it doesn't do so because of disappointment or any ill feelings. My throat has become parched once again, my stomach in knots, and my breath short. Something within me is starting to stir, but it's nothing bad. What is this? Have I been staying the pool too long, or...?

"Come on, let's go again!" Aya takes my hand and pulls me out of the pool.

"All right," I find myself smiling again.

.-.

"I haven't been here in a while," I tell Aya as we walk through the doors.

"I know," my sister smiles.

The Game Gio arcade, I used to come here all the time during my first year at Todou Academy. I usually ditched class back then just so that I can come here or take a nap. I remember how I would only spend 100 yen on a single machine here, that 100 yen lasting me the whole day. I was one of the top players here, my name was always at the top of the high scores list.

"Oneechan, let's play this one!" I find Aya already sitting at a machine.

I take the machine directly across from her. Soul Calibur II, I haven't played this game in a long time. I may be a bit rusty, but I'm sure I can still beat Aya in it. She chooses Xianghua, and I pick Taki; if I remember correctly Xianghua is a very tricky character to use, and I don't think Aya's played this game before. The arcade manager seems to have set the timer on unlimited and the victory rounds to three. It shouldn't be long until I defeat her.

As soon as the match starts, I begin my attack, but to my surprise, my sister's character parries it. She tries to follow with a straight stab, but I manage to deflect that attack. I go for a kick this time, but to my surprise, she does another deflection. We continue to deflect one another's attacks now in a see-saw fashion, sometimes trying to throw one another, only to be countered each time.

"I had no good idea you were this good, Oneechan," Aya compliments me.

"I can say the same about you," I tell her as I deflect her next attack, "I didn't think you really liked to play these kinds of games."

The battle of deflections just continues to go and on for what seems like an eternity. The last time I checked the clock, it was 3:30 p.m., but now that I look back at it, it's 5:30 p.m. It doesn't look like either of us is going to stop parrying or deflecting at this rate, and we're both getting tired of this.

"...let's call it a draw," I propose.

"Yeah," she agrees.

The two of us begin to make our way out of the arcade now, but my sister stops at the "Whack-a-Mole" game. She puts in a single 100 yen coin in the machine and the game starts. As soon as one of the "moles" pops up, she immediately strikes it with the hammer, followed by the next one before it can fully emerge. She continues in this fashion for the duration of the game, I lose count of how many she hits after one-hundred. I've never seen anyone hit so many of these "moles" in this game in my life, and at this speed too. It's true that at least another mole emerges right after you hit one and that it's impossible to hit them all, but Aya makes it look so easy. I turn to the ticket dispenser of the machine and find it rapidly dispensing tickets, creating a large pile at the bottom of the machine. By the time she's finished, the entire roll of tickets is on the ground. I look up to my sister and see that she hasn't broke a sweat in the minute that made up the duration of the game.

"That was fun!" she smiles.

She takes the tickets to the prize counter now, quickly pointing to a prize she wants. She chooses a large, white stuffed bear that's worth 30,000 tickets. Amazingly, just that one game of "Whack-a-Mole" was enough to purchase it.

"Oneechan, here," she hands me her prize.

"Aya?"

"I want you to have it," she tells me. "Whenever I'm in my room and feel upset, I always hold on to something, like a stuffed animal. You should learn to hold on to things too, Oneechan."

"Thank you, Aya, I'll keep it close."

"Hey, let's go to the Karaoke Box!" she drags me again.

.-.

The entire day just flew by because now we find ourselves back home. We spent an hour at the Karaoke Box; even though I wasn't very good, Aya still cheered me on and the dinner at Riky's was delicious as it always is. For the first time in these past three days, I was able to forget about Mitsuomi and start smiling again. My sister, she was very supportive of me today, she did everything she could to make me feel comfortable and at ease with myself. But now that we're home, I feel as if that happiness might just disappear, that I'll go back to sulking in that corner.

"Did you have fun today, Oneechan?" Aya asks me as she walks me to my room.

"Yes," I answer as we stop by my door. "Aya, thank you very much for today," I tell her. "It was nice to spend the day with you."

"You're welcome, Oneechan, I had fun too. I'm going to bed now, good night."

"Good night."

I watch my sister walk down the hall until she disappears from my sight. I go into my room now and the smile that was stretched on my face disappears at this moment. Something doesn't feel right as I stand here, something feels like it's missing. The beating of my heart is calm, my skin feels cold, everything just feels so...empty.

"Whenever I'm in my room and feel upset, I always hold on to something, like a stuffed animal," I remember what Aya said earlier that day. "You should learn to hold things too, Oneechan."

I begin to wrap my arms around the bear my sister gave me back at the arcade, but it does nothing to fill this emptiness I'm feeling. This feeling, it's different from the sadness I was going through the last few days, I don't know how to describe it. When I was with Aya today, that emptiness wasn't there, instead my face was constantly burning, my knees weakening, and my breath short. I felt so weak, but at the same time, empowered. I can't really describe that feeling either. It's similar to how I felt when Mitsuomi and I were together but... No, it can't be... This feeling... Am I falling for Aya? Am I falling for my own sister? No..., I can't! It's not right, I can't fall in love with her, I can't be in love with her! I... I...

"I need you, Oneechan!" her words from yesterday echo in my ears once more.

I need her too, I need her to make me feel important, I need her to support me, I need her to... Stop it, Maya, Aya didn't mean it like that. She's your sister, your little sister, that's all she is. She's family, you and her share the same blood, nothing can ever happen between you. She can still make you feel important, she can still support you, she can do these and many other things as your sister. Think about it, if you were to even suggest the idea to her, she'd be disgusted by the fact. She's in love with that kid, she's in love Nagi Souichiro, she's dedicated every fiber of her being to that young man, so despite what you may think, she can never love you like that. But even if that is true, I...

* * *

(Aya's POV)

I'm glad Oneechan was able to have fun today. For the longest time, I saw her smile. It wasn't the usual fake smile she gave me and the others after Oniichan died, it was her real smile. It wasn't there at first, but as the day went by, I noticed it was slowly coming back. It's still not entirely back though, there's something else holding her back from truly smiling. When I dropped her off in her room, it looked like she was struggling with something. It shouldn't come to a surprise to me though, today was just the first day of healing, I can't expect results yet.

I hear the door to my room slide open now, the device sliding back a second later. I hear footsteps drawing closer to my futon, but I don't turn to greet the individual that entered, instead remaining focused on my thoughts. The sheets of my mattress begin to ruffle now and I feel the breath of another beginning to blow onto my neck, breaking my concentration. Arms begin to wrap around my waist and the body of another pressing into my back. It is now that I turn around, turning to find the face of my sister, her lips frowning and her eyes shut.

"Oneechan...?" I call her.

"Please, just let me stay like this," she tells me. "You told me that whenever you're in your room and feel upset, you hold on to something. Aya, I know it's selfish of me, but can I hold on to you instead? Just for tonight, please? Can I hold you just for tonight?"

"Of course," I smile, bringing my hand onto my sister's.

"Thank you..."

In a manner of minutes, she falls asleep just like she did last night, but I am left awake. I can't help but wonder what it is that's troubling my sister. My best guess would be that she's still upset over Mitsuomi-san's death, but other than that, I'm not sure. Actually, throughout the entire day, Oneechan was being more humble than she usually is. It could be because she's still in mourning, but sometimes I noticed she was blushing, like when we had dinner. When I pointed out that she had rice on her face and then picked it off for her, I thought I saw her blushing as I ate it. Then earlier that day at the Karaoke Box, she turned red again after I told her she did well after she sang. I don't know what else is wrong with her, but I do know one thing. Whatever it is that's making her feel uneasy, I know we'll get through it together.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, how was it? I hope it was all to your liking, it was very difficult for me to write. Maya's starting to fall for Aya now, but unfortunately Aya is oblivious to her sister's true feelings at the moment. I got the names for the arcade and restaurant from episode 19 of the Tenjho Tenge anime, but I wasn't sure what game Mitsuomi and Maya were playing in that episode so I just went with Soul Calibur II since most of my friends and I play that game a lot in real life. As for Maya's outfit which Aya described in the beginning of the chapter, it's based off the outfit the Maya figurine created by BOME (you can find a few available on ebay, along with an Aya figurine). In any case, the next chapter will take place several days after this one, Aya will then learn of Maya's new feelings for her later in the chapter. I guess that's it for now, review if you like, but you know I hate flames. 


	4. Kiss

Author's Note: I finally started collecting the original Japanese Tenjho Tenge manga and reading online translations for it. Right now I have volumes 1 through 11, I can definitely say I really deviated away from the original story with this fic. Unfortunately I won't be able to fit in characters in the manga such as Madoka, Souhaku, and the rest of Team F, maybe I'll write another Tenjho Tenge fic later based on the manga, but we'll see. Anyways, in the last chapter, Maya started to realize she had new found feelings for Aya, but she believes that an intimate relationship would be impossible because of its immorality and the fact that Aya is in love with Souichiro. Of course we know the two will eventually end up together, and in this chapter, we'll learn why Aya isn't with Souichiro any longer in the prologue. Also, Isuzu makes an appearance in this chapter, and unfortunately here's where some of the deviation comes in, she's a lot stronger in this fic than her anime and manga counterparts. Well with that said, let's go back to the story.

* * *

Chapter 3: Kiss

(Maya's POV)

It's been five days since Aya took me out to the water park, and during those past few days, I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. I haven't thought of Mitsuomi as often as I did ever since he passed away nearly a week ago, instead my thoughts are constantly filled with my sister's words and smiles. That night five days ago when she let me sleep with her, it was the last time I could recall I ever had a good night's rest. But my brain continues to tear at itself, tearing at the thoughts that I may be falling for my own sister.

I keep trying to tell myself that I can't fall in love with Aya, I can't love my sister in any other way. It's supposed to be immoral to fall in love with someone that's the same gender as you, and it's even more immoral if that someone is in the same family as you, immediate family especially. Even if it is immoral, I can't deny the fact that whenever I've been with her these last few days, I feel as if my spirit has been lifted, that her smile was enough to make me feel alive.

"Souichiro-sama, say 'aaaahhhhh!'," I turn to my sister, watching her trying to feed her homemade obento again.

"There's no way I'm gonna eat that," he tells her in his usual angry tone. "Day after day after day after day after day after day after day you keep trying to feed me that poison. When are you gonna get it through your head I'm not going to eat that crap for a meal!"

"Don't be mean, Souichiro-sama, at least try it," she tries to force a chopstick full of pork into his mouth.

"Never, even if you try to force it down my throat!" he tells her as he dodges the food.

"Souichiro-sama!"

I sigh as I watch those two. That kid is so immature sometimes, it won't do him any harm to try any of my sister's lunch. I eat it all the time, her meals are always very delicious I find, better than any restaurant I've ever been to.

"Oneechan, say 'aaaahhhhh!'," I imagine her trying to feed me one of her meals.

"Aaaahhhhh... Huh!" I find myself suddenly being pushed to the floor.

"Sorry, little girl!" I turn to the side to find the kid running.

"Souichiro-sama, come back here!" my sister tries to chase him.

"Aya, let him go," I tell her as I dust myself off. "Actually I'm a little hungry myself, if you don't mind, could you...?"

"Oh, okay, Oneechan," my sister stops.

Wait, what am I doing? I never needed Aya to feed me before, why was I just daydreaming it just now. Stop it, Maya, just stop it. You still have a chance to refuse her lunch, you don't have to take it. No, I want to take it, I don't care what my mind says, it's not like there's anything sensual about it; sisters can still feed each other meals and not have anything behind it. Yes, that's all it is, that's all I'm asking of her, nothing more.

I close my eyes now my mouth opening wide. I wait for several seconds, but the food never comes. I continue to wait with my jaw wide open, but I still get nothing. I open my eyes now to find my sister no longer standing in front of me the lunch no longer in her hands. I begin to search the area to look for her, but she's nowhere to be found. I then turn toward my lap to find her lunch sitting there, the handkerchief for the box opened and a pair of chopsticks laid on the surface. Not wanting to have the lunch go to waste, I take the chopsticks into my hand now and pluck a portion of rice into my mouth.

"Idiot...," I say under my breath.

I thought the two of us would be alone for the weekend, but she went ahead and invited the rest of Jyuken Club over for training. I suppose this was the only way for her to get her beloved "Souichiro-sama" to come over. I envy that kid; my sister is so devoted to him, and yet he doesn't even acknowledge her. I wish she could show me the same devotion. Great, listen to myself, I sound like a love-struck schoolgirl.

"It'll never happen," I sigh.

"What will never happen, Captain?" I turn around to find Takayanagi standing behind me.

"It's nothing," I answer, "I'm just talking to myself, that's all."

* * *

(Souichiro's POV)

"Souichiro-sama!"

Damn her, always trying to feed me that crap. I wanted to use this weekend to train, but she keeps chasing me around, I can't seem to concentrate. Every corner I turn, every door I open, no matter where I go, she's always there waiting. I swear, just what makes her think she can just call herself my wife. Can't she just leave me alone for one second?

I stop now in my tracks, realizing that there's someone else on this path. I hear Aya's running footsteps starting to draw closer, slowing down seconds later and finally coming to a stop next to me. I take a moment to observe this individual, my fingers balling into fists the moment I realize the identity of this woman. Pink-haired curls, blue eyes, a slim figure, a black shirt and white skirt and jacket, there's no mistaking it, it's Mitsuomi's lap dog, Isuzu Emi.

"What do you want?" I ask the wench. "This is private property you know."

"Hmph, such rude words for one of the Nagi Family," she scoffs. "No matter, I came here today to ask Natsume-san a few questions."

"Yeah, well the little girl doesn't want to answer those questions!" I retort, remembering how she tied Bob and I up the last time we went to the Enforcers' office.

"Souichiro-sama, stop it," Aya orders me. "I'm sorry, Isuzu-san, but what is it that you'd like to ask Oneechan?"

"It's come to my attention that Mitsuomi-san met with your sister on the night of his death," she explains. "I simply wanted to ask her what the reasons were for the meeting and what happened during that time."

"Isn't that just an excuse for you to beat the little girl up some more?" I ask. "I know how your kind thinks, you'll use any excuse to beat down your opponent."

"And I know your kind as well," she says, keeping her calm demeanor. "You'll do or say anything to pick a fight with someone. What you said back in the office that day, when that oaf, Tawara, obliterated you, it was just an excuse to get back at us for what happened during the bowling alley incident, wasn't it?"

"If it had been my old self that was defeated back then, then yeah, that would precisely be it," I tell her. "Too bad my words that day were true."

"Souichiro-sama...?"

"I told you and that old man that little girl was my first love and I would be willing to lay my life down for her as many times need be. Like I said, this is private property, so I suggest you leave right away."

My entire body begins to grow warm, electricity beginning to form around me. I close my eyes, the energy in my body flowing freely into my arms and chest. The flow that was inside me comes to a stop a moment later, my eyes opening once more to find the bread-haired girl still standing in front of me.

"You've learned a few new tricks I see," she says, still not backing down from my alternate form. "What do you think this is, 'Dragon Ball Z?'"

"This ain't no 'Kamehameha,'" I tell the wench as I gather energy into my fist. "Tanshinkou!"

I throw the energy that gathered into my hand at this point, throwing it in a wave of my arm. The attack misses, striking the ground instead, filling the area with clouds of dust. I look upward to find her jumping toward me through the dusty fog, her foot pushing against my face and knocking me to the floor. I quickly shake off the effects of her attack, charging in with my fist again. She catches my fist somehow with her hand, all of its force absorbed into her palm. A sharp pain then jolts into the back of my hand after as she lets go of my fist, jumping backward to her original spot. I look to the source of the pain to find a kunai lodged into it, that pain returning shortly after I pry it from my hand.

"Souichiro-sama!" Aya cries, taking hold of my injured hand after.

"Back off, Aya," I order. "This is my fight."

The wench continue to stand there, her arms resting at her sides. I charge in once more with another punch, but she somehow manages to dodge this one with a simple side step. I try to follow with a hook with my other arm, but she dodges this one as well. I continue with similar attacks after that, but I notice that the speed in my punches is decreasing with each attempted blow. My legs are beginning to lose momentum as well, my body feels as if its slowly being dragged into the ground. It gets so bad that my last punch barely reaches forward, and at this point, my enemy grabs hold of my arm, lifting my entire body into the air and slamming it back into the ground afterwards. I try to return to my feet, but for some reason, my legs won't move. My arms are exactly the same as well, along with every part of my body.

"Get up, Souichiro-sama!" Aya screams.

"He won't be getting back up," the bread-haired girl says. "That kunai was laced with a paralysis oil. Don't worry, it's nothing fatal and is only temporary. I don't care if you convert energy into strength or whatever that business was back in the bowling alley, it's useless if your body's nerves aren't working."

"You cheap...!"

"I believe it was you who said that 'anything goes in a fight,' am I right?" she asks. "I guess now wouldn't be the best time to ask Natsume-san then, I'll probably come back some other time. Ciao!"

"Wait, this fight isn't over yet!" I yell as she turns away. "Hey, don't walk away from me, get over here!"

"Souichiro-sama, stop it!" Aya orders, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. "You'll only provoke her further, and in your condition, you can't move right now either. Please, Souichiro-sama, don't..."

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" I spit.

"Souichiro-sa..."

"And stop calling me that!" I continue. "What makes you think you can just go running around claiming to be my wife, well you know what, it's not going to happen, even in your wildest dreams!" I tell her at the top of my lungs. "You said it yourself, didn't you, you'll break off our engagement if I lose another fight, right? Well consider our engagement off then! Actually, I never cared about our so-called 'engagement,' I don't even know why I put up with it. I never loved you, I'll never love you, in fact, I hate you!"

"So...Souichiro-sama, how can you such hurtful things...?" her eyes begin to water.

"I can say them because it's true," I answer. "Now get out of my sight!"

She leaves after that, tears quickly rolling down her eyes and sobs escaping her voice. That stupid bread-haired girl, I swear I'll pay her back for this! After all that training, I still can't hold a candle against most of the punks at school. Stronger, I need to become stronger, strong enough so that I can beat down anyone who gets in my way!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Aya's POV)

I feel as if my entire being is split in two, the tears can't stop falling. I run, but I don't care where I run to. I want to run into his arms, but no matter how badly I want to do so, I know that he will only turn me away.

"What makes you think you can just go running around claiming to be my wife, well you know what, it's not going to happen, even in your wildest dreams!" his words repeat in my ears.

What made me believe? I thought it was fate. I thought it was our destiny that brought us together on that day in school, I thought that our future together would be bright. I always imagined what it would be like to be your wife, how I would never leave your side, but no matter what I did to try and make you happy, I only angered you. I thought it was your own way of showing your appreciation, but...

"Aya, what's wrong?" Oneechan asks as I brush past her.

I say nothing as I run past her, my thoughts still lingering on his words. I head into my room now, shutting the door swiftly the moment I walk in. I begin to huddle into the corner of my room now, my arms hugging my legs as I bury my face into my knees. The tears are still falling, they haven't shown any signs of stopping.

"It's not Souichiro-sama's fault," I try to tell myself, "it's not his fault for feeling the way he does. There's no way I can control his feelings, there's nothing I can do to change them. But despite that...!"

I really did think I could change him, I kept lying to myself that if I continued to be with him, he would return my affection. How I feel about him, it was the first time I ever felt that way about any man. The burning sensation in my heart, the blush in my cheeks, the trembling in my knees, I felt so weak, yet so empowered at the same time. There were times when Oneechan made me feel in such ways, but that's because we're sisters.

I try to hug a stuffed bear that sits close to me, burying my tears into its fur, but it does nothing to calm me down like how it normally does. I know I told Oneechan that it makes me feel better when I'm upset, but it was because every time I did so, I always imagined it was Souichiro-sama. Was I a fool to have given my heart to him? Was I not thinking when I devoted my entire being to him? I don't know, I don't know... I just... I just want things to end here, to end now, but I won't, I can't leave Oneechan alone, I don't want to make her cry, even if it means I have to suffer...

* * *

(Maya's POV)

Aya, she was crying just now. She was fine when she chased after the punk into the forest, but when she came out...

The mentioned brat appears now, his entire body wobbling as he exits the forest. My emotions begin to take over once again, my teeth clenching against one another and my nails burying themselves into my palms. Just the sight of the punk angers me, something it never did in the past.

"Souichiro, what happened?" the foreigner asks him. "You look like crap."

"Shut up," the blond punk growls, "that stupid Vice President of the Enforcers showed up and...! Huh, what?" he asks as I step in front of him.

I find my hand swinging to the side, now, the palm of my hand stinging after it strikes the side of the kid's face. I find my own eyes beginning to tear after striking his face, my eyes not watering from the pain the impact made on my hand, but from the pain that is now in my sister's heart.

"Captain...," Takayanagi and the others look shocked, "why...?"

"...get out of here...," are the only words I can muster. "...get out of here..."

"Huh, what?"

"I said get out of here!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

"What's with...?"

"You made Aya cry!" I find my hands taking hold of the kid's collar. "Do you even know how much she devoted her life to you, how much she cares about you! In her entire life, she never truly devoted herself to anything as much as she dedicated herself to you! And to think I stood up for you, risking expulsion from school, not to mention helping you get stronger! How dare you spit on us like that!"

He says nothing after that, his eyes turning to the ground and his lips curled downward. I release him from my grasp now, my arms pushing him forward so that he can fall to the floor.

"...I said some hurtful things back there, didn't I?" he asks after a moment of hesitation, his eyes still locked on the ground. "I... I didn't mean..."

"Didn't you hear me earlier, I said get out!" I repeat as loud as I can. "All of you, just get out!"

Without saying another word, every begins to leave now. I make sure to follow each of them as they leave my house, watching each of them leave the gates without looking back. I slam the gate shut the moment they are all out of my line of vision, the metal bars making a loud clang the moment it shuts. I hurry inside the house now to check on Aya, hearing her sobs coming from inside.

I place my hand on the door, but something stops me from sliding the door open. I want to go in there and console her, but there's another voice inside me that tells me not to. It tells me to leave her alone for now, to let her sort out her emotions, the last thing she wants to do at the moment is talk about what happened. Leave her alone the voice tells me, just leave her be. I decide to go along with the voice unfortunately, the claim being backed by the fact that I don't know what to say to her. I take a seat on the wall next to her door, my arms wrapping around my legs and my eyes turning to the ground.

"Why won't you go in there?" my conscience asks me.

"I don't know," I answer.

"You two have been so distant since your brother died, so why do you only distance yourself further from her?"

"...I don't know."

"Yes you do know. You're afraid, afraid of getting close, you're afraid that everyone you grow close to will leave you behind. Your parents, your brother, Mitsuomi, each of them were very dear to you, but each were also taken from you. Are you afraid the same will happen with Aya? Is that why you can't admit your feelings to her?"

"No, I don't have feelings for her!" I retort. "Not those kind of feelings. It isn't right, I would never dream of doing anything like that with Aya. I'm sure she would also be disgusted by the idea. We're sisters, that's all we are and can ever be."

"But you're afraid that you're relationship may become something else, you're afraid that if it were to go any further it may one day tear the two of you apart."

"...All right, I admit it, I am afraid! I am afraid of growing close to her, I am afraid of admitting my feelings toward her, I am afraid that she may one day leave me, I am afraid..."

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

"I don't know... I don't know..."

The voice of conscience continues to echo in my head, its words beginning to drive me into tears of my own. I don't know what I should do, I know if I were to go in there right now I might risk our current relationship, that a simple word may destroy everything we've developed ever since we've known each other. But I don't want to see her like this, I can't bear to see her crying. What should I do? I don't know what to do... Why? Why can't I do anything?

* * *

(Aya's POV)

I don't know how long I've been crying, all I know is that the moon as taken the sun's place in the sky now. My entire room is dimly lit with the moonlight, the darkness reflecting my mood at the moment. My cheeks are still wet with my tears, my voice strained from all my sobbing, and my throat parched. I notice a silhouette on the other side of my door now, a figure of a person sitting outside with their back against the door and their head sulking. I immediately recognize who it is after seeing the shadow of two large antennae sticking out of the hair.

"Oneechan...?" I open my door to find her sulking outside.

"Aya...?" she turns to me. "Are you...?"

I find my body falling again, my arms quickly wrapping around my sister's waist. I try to bury my face into her shoulder, my cries being muffled by the fabric of her shirt. I feel her own arms wrapping around me shortly, her hold gentle, yet firm. She nestles her cheek with my own, wiping away some of the tears with the rubbing of her face against mine.

"Why, Oneechan?" I ask her. "Why did I fall in love with someone like him? I dedicated every fiber of my being to him, and yet...!"

"Sh, calm down," she tells me, "it's okay. You can't help with who you fall in love with, you just... It's like your under a spell, a spell that's difficult to break out of. Your mind tells you that falling a certain person isn't right for whatever reason, but your heart still... I'm sorry, Aya, I'm sorry you had to fall for someone like him."

"He said I was hard to put up with," I continue, my voice nearly choking. "Am I really that difficult to deal with? Am I really that obnoxious? Tell me, Oneechan. Am I really unfit to be his wife? Am I unfit to be anyone's wife!"

"No, you're not," Oneechan assures me, cupping my face and bringing it before hers. "You're not hard to put with, you're not obnoxious. It's always a pleasure to have you around, it's always nice to see your face beaming with a smile. Your very presence, it's enough to life the moods of everyone in an entire room. I'm afraid that what I said doesn't apply to how that kid feels," she tells me, her voice showing a hint of regret. "You may be unfit to be his wife, Aya, but that doesn't mean you're unfit to be another's wife."

"Who then, Oneechan?" I ask. "Who would I be suitable for? If I were to fall in love, I would just go around telling everyone about my betrothed, even if he didn't love me back. Who would be able to put up with me, who would be able to eat my meals, appreciate me for being by their side, who? If Souichiro-sama isn't the one, then who else is there?"

"...there's me," my sister suddenly says. "There's me, Aya."

"Onecha...!"

Her lips suddenly press against my own at this point, her mouth suppressing the rest of my words. The skin of her lips is so soft, her breath tasting like peppermint, and her hair smelling like the morning dew. My heart is beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, my stomach in knots, and my knees weak, I feel so vulnerable, yet so strong at the same time. My eyes begin to close, a final tear falling down my cheek, this one falling not from sadness.

Her own lips abruptly pull away from my own now, forcing me to open my own eyes. I see a surprised look on her face, her hands quickly pulling away from my body as she stares into the floor with a brush of red painted over her face. She sets her hands on her lap, her fingers tightly grasping the material of her pants. I feel my face burning as well as I stare at her like this, seeing her act so vulnerable.

"I...I'm sorry," Oneechan stutters, quickly making her way out of the room.

"Oneechan, wait!" I call her.

"I...I didn't mean it," she stammers again. "I'm so sorry, Aya."

"Oneechan!"

She leaves without saying anything after that, running through the hall and into her bedroom. I find my hand still reaching out to her despite the fact that she has already left me. The beating in my heart is as rapid as ever and my face still burning from the sensation of the kiss. I bring my fingers to my lips now, finding the warmth of her mouth still pressing against my own. My lips are curled, curled upward in a smile and my thoughts replaying the meeting of our lips.

What was that? Why did Oneechan just kiss me? Did she really mean all those things she said? Could it be that Oneechan is in love with me? My own sister, in love with me, is that even possible? And why, why am I happy over the fact that she kissed me? Do I feel the same way? It's not right for sisters to love each other in such a manner, is that why she ran away from me? Am I in love with her, or am I just desperate after Souichiro-sama left me that I would go after the first person who cheered me up?

No, I'm not desperate. The beating of my heart, the lack of air in my lungs, the tingling throughout my entire body, I've felt all of these things before. When Oneechan complimented me, when she would stand up for me when we were children, when we were alone together, I always felt these things about her. It was different for Oniichan, I never felt anything as exhilarating as how I did about Oneechan, despite how I was equally close with both of them. And sometimes when I felt upset and hugged a stuffed animal, it wasn't always Souichiro-sama I thought it about, sometimes it was her. Yes, I must be in love with her, I must be in love with Oneechan. My heart was never given to Souichiro-sama, I had already dedicated it to her, I had already dedicated it to Oneechan.

"Oneechan...," my fingers run down my lips once again, "I love you..."

* * *

Author's Note: Well there you have it. Aya definitely knows how Maya feels about her now, but unfortunately Maya's still in denial despite knowing how she truly feels. Yeah, Souichiro came off as a jerk after being beaten bu Isuzu, but we know he's got a bad attitude and takes it really bad when he loses a fight. Isuzu seemed out of character too, but the fact is that she hasn't taken Mitsuomi's death very well either, and the fact that Maya was with him on the night of his death makes her feel even worse. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter takes place during the same day as the prologue, but it's the hours before it. Well I hope you're all looking forward to it. 


	5. Love

Author's Note: In the last chapter, we saw a change in Isuzu's character, and in this one, we get to see more of that change. We'll also get to see a Maya and Isuzu rematch as well in this chapter, but this won't be their last encounter in this fic. Not sure what else to say, so let's continue.

* * *

Chapter 4: Love

(Aya's POV)

"Oneechan, it's time for school!" I knock on her door. "Oneechan?"

I slide her door open and find the room empty once again. She must have left for class without me again, she's been doing this for more than a week now. Ever since that night, my sister has been like a ghost. Every time I go to her room, every time I go to her classes, even during the Jyuken Club meetings, I never see her. Every once and a while I do bump into her around the house, but every time I try to address her, she quickly turns away and runs, her face always colored a bright red. I'm worried about her, and I'm sure everyone else in the Jyuken Club is as well.

"Aya-chan!" I turn around to find Takayanagi-senpai waving at me.

"Good morning," I greet him.

"The captain's not with you again?" he asks as we make our way onto the school grounds. "I haven't seen her for more than a week, did something happen?"

"...no, nothing happened," I lie. "Oneechan's just... a bit under the weather lately."

"Really? I thought that it might have something to do with what happened during that one weekend," Takayanagi-senpai remembers. "She seemed pretty angry about what that punk did to make you cry. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in school either."

That is true, I haven't seen Souichiro-sama in school either since that weekend. There were times I was thinking about going to his apartment or calling him to check up on him, but every time I would always get cold feet. It would just be awkward to see him after what he said that day. I wouldn't want to upset him even more by trying to visit, he might think I was just being obnoxious again. Wait a minute, up ahead, is that...?

"Souichiro-sama?" I find myself running to him.

He turns to face me, his face not showing his usual energetic self. He looks at me with a somewhat blank look on his face, it looks almost like how it did after he was defeated by Takayanagi-senpai.

"Hey," he greets me with a simple wave of his hand.

"Good morning."

A moment of silence follows after we greet one another. I'm not sure what I want to say to him, I'm guessing that he'd probably tell me to get out of his sight or something like that. He begins to scratch the back of his neck, it seems like he doesn't know what to say either.

"Um, Souichiro-sama...," I try to come up with something to say.

"About what I said during that weekend," Souichiro-sama begins to speak. "There were... Well you know... I didn't really mean... What I mean to say is..."

"Don't worry about it, Souichiro-sama," I assure him. "You were just angry after what happened between you and Isuzu-san. It's all right, really."

"But Aya, I didn't want to..."

"No, it's okay," I assure him. "We're still friends, right?"

"...yeah, ...friends...," he barely nods.

"Well class starts in a bit, I'll see you later, Souichiro-sama, Takayanagi-senpai!" I wave as I hurry into the school building.

I run up to the second story of the building now, finding my classroom the moment I turn the corner. My hand reaches for the door, but my arm stops before I slide it open. I wait several seconds with my hand still an inch away, but I decide to pull it back and run back to the stairway and hurry to the next floor. I run down this floor's hallway, stopping at the fifth classroom and quickly pulling the door to the side. The entire classroom shifts their focus on me at the moment, but I pay no attention to them. My eyes wander throughout the classroom, only to end up disappointed after surveying the room.

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss?" the teacher asks.

"...no," I answer before I close the door once again.

Oneechan skipped school again. I thought that today she would definitely show up, but... Is it too much for me to ask if I can see her again? I don't just want to see her in the hallways of our house and have her run away from me each time she sees me, I want things to go back to how they used to. No, that's not the truth, I don't want them to go back to how they used to. I want to walk beside her when we go to school, arm-in-arm, I want to feel her embrace around me everyday, I want to wake up beside her every morning, I want to...

I have to confront her. I can't just let her run away each time, I have to stop her from doing so, but I don't even know where she is. It's cheating but... I don't really want to use it, but the only way I'll find her is if I use the Ryuugan. I'm sorry, Oneechan, but I have to know, I have to know where you are, I have to know how you truly feel about me...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Maya's POV)

I can't believe I cut school again today. I wouldn't be surprised if they expelled me for not showing up to any of my classes for an entire week. I'm so pathetic, doing all of this just to run away from my own sister. No, it was even more pathetic what I did that evening. I kissed her, not a kiss that was meant between family, but an actual kiss. I took advantage of her sadness, but I couldn't just stand there and let her cry, I just had to do something.

What that kid said about her wasn't true at all, he had no right to break her heart like that! When I saw what he did, I never felt so angry in my entire life. I wanted to do more than just slap him, I wanted to tear all of his limbs off. And when I heard her cry, I couldn't help but cry with her. I really did mean those things I said to her when she was distressed, but... Why did I go and do that? It was the same as that night after the two of us went out. When I slept with her, I felt most at ease with my body pressed against hers, how our heartbeats were in synch with one another.

I'm smiling as I remember those things, my heart once again aflutter. This feeling, this trembling in my knees, this shortness of breath, it's like what I felt about Mitsuomi back then, but at the same time, it's different. I...I really am in love with Aya, but... I'm such a coward, I can't even tell her how I truly feel, I always run away whenever she tries to confront me about that night. I mustn't run anymore, I have to...

"Hey, hey, sweet thing, you here all alone?" I look up to find three young men standing over me. "Last I checked the swings and the rest of the playground was meant for little kids, unless..."

"Leave me alone!" I seethe.

"Hey baby, come on, we just wanted to ask you out for a drink and...," he places his hand over mine.

"I said leave me alone!" I push myself off the swing set now.

"Bitch with an attitude," another remarks.

"Well we were gonna be nice and ask you nicely, but if you're gonna be like that..."

Each of them takes out a switchblade from their pockets now, each of the blades partly rusted and the edges chipped. Two of them edge to my sides, another standing right in front of me. None of them look too skilled, they just seem like a bunch of street punks. This shouldn't be too difficult, all I need is...

Before I can finish thinking, the one to my right lunges forward with his blade. The stab misses, my body simply stepping to the side to avoid it. His arm is wide open afterwards, giving me an opportunity to disarm him. My left hand quickly takes hold of his wrist at this time, my right hand pushing forward at the same time so that my palm can meet with his jaw. He drops the knife afterward, trying to lunge forward again with his other fist. I spin out of his punch's path, my right arm quickly wrapping his shoulder and my left arm jamming the rest of his arm back. A loud crack fills the area after, the man falling to the ground crying in pain.

The other two charge in at this point, but I manage to dodge each one in the same manner, both of my hands taking hold of the back of their heads so that I may slam them into each other. One of them drops their weapons at this point, but the other tries to swipe at me with his knife. I jump away to dodge the slash, only to find the two charging once again. The one with the knife tries to go for another stab as the other tries to rush in from the side. I manage to grab his wrist like the first one, twisting it with my left hand until he drops his blade. I manage to catch the weapon before it touches the floor, grabbing it by the handle and swerving it to the side so that its tip finds itself resting on the throat of my other attacker.

"I told you to leave me alone," I repeat myself, "and if you do value your lives, you'll do as I say."

"All right, all right, we can take a hint," the man with the knife to his neck says.

I release the one in my grasp now, him and his two friends running away afterward. I sigh as I watch each of them run, throwing the blade in my hand into the trash several feet away from my side. I sigh as I watch the three men run away; I lost my train of thought because of them.

"Not bad," I hear an applause after, "you're as skilled as ever, Natsume-san."

"Vice President of the Enforcers, Isuzu Emi!" I quickly turn around to find the bread-haired girl standing behind me.

"It's President now," Isuzu corrects me. "With Mitsuomi-san's death, I naturally became the new president due to the chain of command."

"What do you want?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. "I know you didn't come here to give me your inauguration speech."

"As a member of the Enforcers, I've come to take you back," she answers.

"Am I supposed to be honored that the new president is willing to escort me back for ditching a week of school?" I say in a sarcastic tone.

"It's come to my attention that you were with Mitsuomi-san on the evening of his death," she continues. "That oaf, Tawara, woke up from his nap at the time and saw you running away from Mitsuomi-san. I want to know what happened between the two of you during that evening, tell me everything that went on."

"...that's none of your business," I tell her. "What happened that evening between Mitsuomi and I is none of your concern. Now if you'll excuse me...," I try to brush past her.

"It is of my concern, Natsume-san," she tells me with my back still facing her. "I have the right to ask..., no, I have the right to demand to know what happened that night. You will tell me what occurred, or else."

"Or else, what?" I look back, my eyes as narrow as ever.

"I will cut it out of you!" she answers, two of her trademark annki appearing between the spaces of her fingers.

"I admire your persistence, but if we were to fight, it will only end like it did in the bowling alley," I can't help but boast. "I have no desire to..."

Before I can say another word, I find a large gust of wind suddenly passing me by. The blast is short, but its effects leave me shocked. One of the annki in her hands is now missing, a small clunk barely echoing in my ear after. I turn around to fine the blade lodged into a tree, a small crack on its trunk. The crack begins to grow into a web, the lines growing longer and longer until they engulf the whole tree. In seconds, the tree splits in two, each of the halves quickly falling to the floor and make the ground shake. I turn back to my opponent to find her with three more annki in her hands, each of them ready to be thrown at any moment.

'She's definitely improved,' I think to myself. 'The last time we fought, her throws weren't as strong as this. This environment is more open as well as opposed to the last one we fought in, and I can't risk using the trees behind me, some innocent bystanders might be on the other side and may get caught in the fight.'

I look back at my opponent now, her eyes different from before. So narrow, so cold, it was unlike anything from what they were the last time we fought. I can't sense her ki either, all I feel is emptiness. Just looking at her sends chills down my spine. Mitsuomi's death, that's the only thing I can think of to have made her like this.

To my surprise, the annki in her hands begin to disappear. Her fingers close and ball into fists now, her left hand moving forward and her right back. Her legs begin to arch as well, the bending of her knees parallel to the ground. This is different, she wants to fight me in hand-to-hand combat. I do the same at this moment, my left hand moving forward with my palm facing her and my right making a fist as my elbow rests an inch from my side.

She begins to rush forward now, her charge changing into a jump kick. I manage to dodge her kick, but to my surprise, her right hand catches the floor and twists her body toward me, her leg once again lunging forward. This sudden change in direction has caught me by surprise, the heel of her shoe meeting with my abdomen and knocking me back. I ignore the pain of the blow, readying my stance again as she runs toward me once again. I try to stop her with a jab with my left, the punch blocked with her right.

I try to follow with my other hand after, but she manages to dodge it. I follow with two more punches, each of them dodged so easily. She bends backward slightly to avoid my last punch, but she misses my roundhouse kick that follows after. My foot meets with her cheek shortly after, a spittle of blood escaping her lip upon contact, but the force of my attack only stuns her momentarily. My opponent quickly counters afterward, rushing in once more with her shoulder. I'm unable to dodge this one, my back suddenly meeting with the floor, creating a jolt of pain throughout my entire back.

I try to push myself back to my feet afterward, only to find her foot meeting with my abdomen. I fall back to the ground after her kick, the wind knocked out of me with the blow. The attack doesn't stop there however, her foot continues to push itself against me, this time stomping on my spine. I can't help but cry in pain each time she stomps on my back, each hit draining more and more strength from my body. Finally the pain comes to a stop, but her fingers grab a lock of my hair now, pulling me upward so that the edge of my eye could see the annki next to it.

"Are you going to tell me now, Natsume-san?" she asks, her voice filled with resolve. "I'll be willing to finish that haircut I gave you last time if you aren't? What should I do this time, should I cut off all your hair? No, why stop there, I think a blush of red would fit your cheeks very well."

'So cold,' I think to myself. 'She's nothing like how she used to be. Even if I were to transform into my child form right now, it wouldn't do anything if she's grabbing my hair. But still, I can't tell her what happened that evening, I just can't... Why though? Why am I unable to tell her what happened? Is it because... No, I can't still be...'

"Well, choose!" she yells.

"Let her go!" another voice fills the area.

"Aya?" I turn around to find my little sister with a bokken in her hand.

"Isn't this cute?" Isuzu says sarcastically. "The little sister coming to save the older one, I thought it was supposed to be the other way around."

"I said let her go!" she yells again.

"Aya, get out of here," I order her. "She's..."

Before I can say another word, my little sister begins to rush in, the tip of her wooden blade sliding across the ground. The bread-haired girl releases me at this time so that she may rush forward as well. Aya swings first, her weapon swinging upward in an attempt to attack Isuzu's jaw. Her attack misses, the bokken's blade being caught beneath Isuzu's arm and side. Isuzu then brings her fist into the oak curve, the wood shattering upon impact. I try to rush in at this point, my fist leading my charge. Somehow my opponent notices this, catching my hand with her palm and quickly retaliating with a backhand strike.

"Oneechan!" Aya screams.

Before she can act, Isuzu's left leg springs forward, her foot quickly connecting with my sister's stomach. The blow sends her toward the ground, but she doesn't finish there. Isuzu then turns her attention to me, bringing her fist across my cheek causing a small river of blood to escape my lip. Her knee meets with my stomach after, knocking even more wind out of me, and finally her attack ends, her arm tossing me toward my sister and sending us both to the floor.

"When are you going to talk, Natsume-san?" my nemesis asks as she stands over us. "How much more punishment must I deliver until you give me the details on what happened between you and Mitsuomi-san that evening? Judging by that look on your face, you're not going to tell me anything regardless of what I'm going to do with you. Your sister on the other hand, maybe that will change your tune when I'm done with her..."

"Aya!"

My eyes widen the moment she mentions Aya, my nails digging into my palms with blood seeping through the skin from which they press, and my jaw tightened. I try to rush in again with my remaining strength, but she easily pushes me back to the ground with her foot. The heel of her shoe buries itself into my chest, preventing me from moving any further. Another annki appears in her left hand now, her right taking hold of my sister's collar. My sister tries to look away as the edge of the kunai is brought to her cheek, her entire body beginning to tremble. I continue to try and struggle out of Isuzu's grasp, but despite what I do, I can't get her off me. I can't let her touch Aya, I can't let her do it, I can't let her take away what's dear to me!

Before she moves any further, a ringing sound begins to echo in all of our ears. The bread-haired girl immediately removes Aya from her grasp upon hearing it, her hand reaching for a cell phone in her jacket pocket.

"What is it?" she speaks into the phone. "What! Of all the times to...! Fine, I'll be there right away. You two got lucky this time, I have more pressing matters at hand," she spits.

She pulls her foot away from me at this time and proceeds to leave the area. I try to do nothing as she walks away, knowing that she'll go after Aya again if I were to try anything. I look beside me to find my sister pulling herself off the ground, exhausted but unharmed.

"Oneechan, are you all right?" she asks as she wraps my arm around her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as she carries me.

"I came here to look for you," she answers. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you this last week?" she changes the subject. "You've been like a ghost this whole time; you haven't been showing up to school at all, you're not home most of the time, and when I do see you, you always run away. Why, Oneechan, why do you keep running away from me!"

"...I'm sorry," is all I can say.

"...it's okay," she tells me. "Let's get you home right now and get those wounds looked at."

"All right."

That was stupid of me just now, getting emotional during our fight. If I had been able to push back my feelings, I'm sure I would have been able to fight her off before Aya got involved. I can't allow her to get to me again, the next time she might...!

Isuzu Emi, why are you so desperate to know what happened that evening between Mitsuomi and I? Just when I thought I had gotten over his death, you go ahead and bring it back up. No, the real question is why I can't tell her or anyone else what happened. I...I'm still... clinging on to that memory so dearly. Even after his death, my heart is still longing for him, but at the same time, it longs for Aya's. But that's not fair, I can't long for two people, especially if one is dead.

"Oneechan, is something wrong?" my sister asks me.

"...yes, Aya, everything's wrong," I answer.

* * *

(Aya's POV) 

Everything is wrong she said, it's just like that day when she tried to kill herself. Oneechan hasn't said a word since we returned home, she barely even ate anything off her plate. She's just sitting there, her eyes drawn to the table, it's worrying me how she's doing nothing.

Isuzu-san mentioned something about Mitsuomi-san earlier this morning, something about them seeing one another. Could it have something to do with the night when she left the house so abruptly?

It was the evening when Mitsuomi-san died, we got a phone call rather late. I was in the kitchen when the phone rang, I tried to hurry over to the living room to pick it up only to find that my sister had answered it. There was something different about my sister after she hung up the phone, her face showing more resolve than it ever did in her entire life.

"Who was it?" I asked her after the call.

"...I have to go now," she answered, hurrying to the door.

"Wait, where are you going, Oneechan?"

"Don't wait up."

I didn't know where Oneechan went that evening, or what happened. I remember waiting for her in the living room the entire time, she came back an hour later. I went to go greet her at the door, only to find her back pressing against the door and her eyes turned to the floor. Her nails were digging into the frame of the door, she was breathing very heavily, and tears were rolling down her face.

"Oneechan, what happened?" I tried to ask her.

She didn't answer me at all, all she did was run to her room, crying. I wanted to go after her, but my intuition told me to leave her alone. I'm pretty sure she cried herself to sleep that night, but the morning after, she acted fine, or at least she tried her best to act as if nothing happened. I tried to confront her about what happened, but she told me that nothing happened. Later that day when Isuzu-san came in to inform us about Mitsuomi-san's death, I couldn't help but wonder. Did Oneechan have something to do with it? Could she have been the one that was responsible for his death?

No, there's no way Oneechan could have done such a thing, but she blamed herself for it when she tried to jump off the school rooftop. Just what did happen on that evening two weeks ago? No, none of that matters right now, my sister is crying right now and I have to do something to make her feel better.

"Oneechan...," I barely call her.

"I...I'm pathetic, aren't I?" she suddenly asks.

"Oneechan?"

"I couldn't... I couldn't let that bread-haired girl know what happened between Mitsuomi and I that evening," she continues. "It's sad, I'm clinging onto his memory so dearly as if he were still here."

"No, it's not sad," I assure her. "Mitsuomi-san meant a lot to you, Oneechan, I know that you loved..."

"I think I still love him," she interrupts. "Even though he's already passed on to the next life, my heart still races when I think of him. But I don't want it to long for him, I want it to..."

"Sh, it's okay," I find my arms wrapping around her. "It's just as you told me, Oneechan, you can't help who you fall in love with. It's like a spell that's difficult to break out of."

"I know, but..."

"It's just like how I thought I fell in love with Souichiro-sama. I don't know what it was about him that made him different from the other boys, but it must have been his spirit, it reminded me a little of Oniichan. That cocky attitude, the wish to grow stronger than anyone else, everything about him, it somehow reminded me. I fell for that likeness, from the very moment I saw him. It was a strong spell I think, almost like the spell you have cast upon me, Oneechan."

"Aya...?" she begins to calm down.

I find my hands cupping her cheeks now. I can feel her breath becoming slow and her face growing warmer. My own heart begins to hasten, my throat dry, and my body quivering. I look into the cerulean blue orbs of her eyes, losing myself in what seems like an endless blue. Now, my heart tell me, now is the time to tell her. Tell her the words I have kept inside for so long, tell her the words that were meant for her and only her, tell her the words that will free your soul.

"Oneechan, I love you," the words finally escape my lips.

My eyes begin to close, my own face beginning to press forward. I can taste her mint-like breath as she breathes onto my lips, I feel the smooth texture of her fingers beginning to grasp my shoulder; if this is what heaven is like, please don't stop me now. Something does stops me however, it is her fingers pressing against my lips. I begin to peel my lips away from her hand now, finding my sister turned away from my face as if she were ashamed of something.

"I'm sorry, Aya," she apologizes out of the blue. "But... I can't love you..."

Everything in my body begins to paralyze at this moment, as if my very heart was ripped out of my body. My eyes feel as if they are melting, everything in my vision beginning to blur as rivers begin to escape them. My voice begins to hiccup, my smile melting into a frown. Again I have been hurt, not with physical force, but my words.

"Why, Oneechan?" I ask her, my voice shrill. "Why can't you love me? Is it because we're both of the same gender? Is it because we're sisters? Why?"

"...I can't love you if I dedicated my heart to another in the past," she answers. "I dedicated myself to Mitsuomi two years ago, and I still did even after he killed our brother. Even though he has passed on, I..."

"But your heart still longs for me, doesn't it!" I interrupt. "That day when we went out together, can you honestly say that you felt nothing the entire time? What about when we fell asleep together, was there no warmth in your heart as our bodies clung onto one another? Or when you kissed me, was there no spark in passion inside you? Was there really nothing at all, Oneechan...!"

"...I did feel something that day, Aya," she admits, "I did feel my heart burning that evening, and I did feel the spark of passion when we kissed... I do want to be with you, but..."

"Then be with me!" my arms wrap around her once again. "I don't care if you dedicated yourself to Mitsuomi-san in the past, I don't care if you were both in love, all I care about is now, Oneechan. I too cared about Souichiro-sama, I still do, but how I care for him now is different, how I've dedicated myself to him has changed. It's you I want to dedicate my heart to from now on, it's you that I have fallen in love with, it's you, Oneechan."

"...I'm sorry."

She begins to get up now, my arms sliding down her shoulders and onto her hands. I try to pull on her wrists to stop her, but she does little to acknowledge my presence. She continues to look forward, her eyes covered by the bangs of her hair. She begins to walk again, my body dragging with her steps. I cannot hold on for long, my hands falling onto her own, falling further onto her fingers, and finally, falling into the air.

The evening breeze has never felt so cold before, my tears burning like magma. I find my body beginning to lurch forward, my arms wrapping around my body as if she were still in my embrace. I call for her again and again, my cries growing louder and louder with every second. Regardless of how I feel, regardless of how loud I call, she never returns.

"Oneechan..."

* * *

(Maya's POV) 

Aya, I really do want us to be together, but I want my heart to long for yours and yours alone. I do love you, Aya, I love you as more than a sister, but I think it is unfair if I love someone who is dead at the same time. There is also our brother's words to take into account as well.

"If you run away, I'll kill. Of course, it won't be you. I'll kill the person you ran away to or who you resorted to. I'll kill every single person who you have been involved with."

Would he do it, would he keep his word even if the one I ran to was our own sister? Even in death, I believe he did manage to kill Mitsuomi, the one person he trusted to take his place. He killed him by using my emotions, by using me as an avatar. I don't want to risk it, I don't want to put Aya in that kind of danger. I don't want to put anyone else in that position ever!

"I don't care if you dedicated yourself to Mitsuomi-san in the past," Aya's words begin to echo in my ears once again. "I don't care if you were both in love, all I care about is now, Oneechan. I too cared about Souichiro-sama, I still do, but how I care for him now is different, how I've dedicated myself to him has changed. It's you I want to dedicate myself to from now on, it's you that I have fallen in love with, it's you, Oneechan."

Can I change the way I feel about Mitsuomi as well, just as Aya changed how she felt about the kid? ...no, I can't. My time with Mitsuomi has stopped, his face and memories forever frozen in time. Though his time has stopped, I still love him, but it can never be the same as it once was. I can never hope to go any further with him, but I can never go back. It is at a standstill, and always will be at a standstill. I'm sorry, Mitsuomi, but I have to let go, I have to move on without you.

I make my way out of the garden now and begin to traverse down the hallway back to the living room. I open the door to find my sister no longer there, only a dried puddle of tears where she last sat. I shut the door immediately after, running to her room after to also find it empty. I hurry to the bath next but she also isn't there. The practice hall, the garage, the forest area, all of it empty. Where could she have gone, she couldn't have left the house, could she? Wait, there was one place I haven't checked yet, it's a long shot, but...

I open the door to my room and find Aya huddled in the corner, her arms wrapped around the bear she won for me at the arcade.

"Aya...," I barely call her name.

I find my heart once again beating rapidly, butterflies in my stomach, and my knees trembling. I decide to take a seat next to her in order to calm my nerves, but it does the exact opposite. I find myself even more nervous now, unable to control myself as I sit beside her. I thought I knew what I would say to her once I found her, but now...

"Oneechan," she says, her words almost in a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Do you not love me?"

"Aya, I..."

'Don't stop,' I think to myself. 'This is your chance, tell her how you truly feel before you lose her forever. If you're ever going to tell her how you feel, then do it now.'

"...I dedicated my heart to Mitsuomi two years ago," I tell her. "Mitsuomi was different from the other boys, there was something about him I fell for. It wasn't right away, slowly but surely I fell for him. I was in love with him, and I was still in love with him even after we broke up. He's dead now though, my memories of him forever frozen in time, and with that, our love. Aya, what I felt about Mitsuomi and what I feel about you are different. My time with Mitsuomi will always be in my heart, but it can do nothing more, but my time with you has yet to begin. Please, Aya, let our time begin, let us walk together from now on for as far as we can go."

"Oneechan...?" her eyes begin to light up.

"I love you, Aya," I finally tell her.

"Oneechan, I...love you too."

Her own eyes begin to close at this moment, her lips pushing forward. My own face begins to lean as well, leaning until the outer layers of our mouths meet. They meet for a second, pressing against one another, her mouth pulling away after but mine tries to pull it back in. They press again in a different angle, the soft texture of her lips gliding against mine. Both of our mouths pull away for a second, only to fall upon one another again from a different angle. Our mouths continue to bicker with one another, fighting so desperately to indulge in the full taste of the substance within. They continue to wrestle over and over again, the battle ending after an eternity of pushing and pulling, but in this fight there is no loser, only winners.

"I love you, Aya," I tell her once again, my hand gliding down her face. "I really do."

"And I love you, Oneechan."

* * *

(Isuzu's POV) 

The evening's breeze is so gentle this evening, so cool. The pale glow of the moon is also perfect, but it is also enough to shield my presence on this rooftop. What is not pleasant however, are the words that carry on in the floor beneath this roof.

'How disgusting,' I think to myself.

Natsume-san, I gave you more respect than you had deserved. Falling inlove with Mitsuomi-san was one thing, but this new relationship with your sister goes beyond that which is moral. You claim that your love for Mitsuomi-san is frozen, his memories at a standstill with time, but you are wrong. My love and memories of him still live on in me!

"Aya, do you want to make love to me?" I overhear my arch-rival from the floor below.

You really are disgusting, Natsume-san, taking your little sister's virginity like this. Enjoy your moment of bliss, because now that I have found out what happened between you and Mitsuomi-san on the night of his death, I'll make sure you and your sister's lives will be a living hell.

* * *

Author's Note: Well there you have it, now you know how they ended up together, but the fic still has a way to go before it reaches its conclusion. So how are the other Jyuken Club members going to react to Aya and Maya's new relationship, what exactly did happen between Mitsuomi and Maya during his night of death, has Maya truly let go of Mitsuomi, has Aya really let go of Souichiro, and what does Isuzu have in store for the sisters and how did she find out about what happened on that evening when Mitsuomi died? We'll find out eventually as the story goes on. So yeah, review if you like, but no flames as usual if you are going to review. Well I guess that's it for now, hope to see you all in the next chapter. 


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